


Pie in the Sky

by ThirtySomething



Category: Hunger Games (2012), Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 12:16:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/650435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirtySomething/pseuds/ThirtySomething
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Katniss and Peeta, meeting under comical circumstances, developing into a complicated but worthwhile relationship.  Rated M for language and future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at fanfiction! I love Peeta and Katniss together under any genre, but AU modern time seems to be a good place to start my first time around. My heartfelt thanks to those who will actually take the time to read this.
> 
> I do not own the Hunger Games...Suzanne Collins is the genius behind the series.

_Ding dong._

…If I ignore it, maybe they’ll go away.

_Ding dong._

“Katniss!  Can you get that?  It’s the pizza guy!  Cash is on the coffee table!”

I groan.  Excellent plan, Primrose.  Order a pizza, then take the world’s longest shower.  Don’t mind me, I’m just the one that pulled an all-nighter studying for finals.  I’m tired.  I’m grumpy.

_Knock knock knock._

And now I’m _annoyed_.

“I’m coming!”  Geez…someone’s getting a lousy tip.  I grab the cash off the coffee table and head to front door, fully prepared to give this pizza delivery guy a piece of my mind, when I open the door…and see the bluest blue eyes I have ever seen in my life.

“Hi there, pizza and cheese buns from Three Brothers?  That’ll be eighteen dollars” says the delivery guy with a smile that makes my stomach flutter.

Wait.  What?

I hand him the money and manage to find my voice, “Uh, hi, yes, sorry about that…here you go, keep the change” I say with a tight smile.  Get a grip, Katniss.

With a small “thanks”, delivery guy takes the cash and I take the boxes.  But he doesn’t make a move to walk away.

He’s staring at me.

I’m staring back.

“Is there something else?” I ask, not sure what answer I’m hoping for.

“Um, you have gum.  In your hair.”

I look down at my messy braid and find the gum I was chewing earlier plastered on it.  So this is what happens when you’re exhausted and you fall asleep with your mouth wide open.  

Kill me.  Kill me now.

“Omygod, yikes, ick, sorry, uh, thanks for telling me” I say almost incoherently as I try to pull the gum out of my hair, but I only seem to be making it worse.

“Do you need help?”

Oh, I don’t know, can you make me invisible?  Because that would definitely be helpful.

I look up at him, expecting to find a cocky smirk, but instead I find a gentle smile and a look of genuine concern.  Because I have gum in my hair.

I stand up straight, hand in my gum-braid, and regain whatever composure I have left.  “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.  Thanks for the pizza.” Good, complete sentences are good.

“My pleasure.  Come by the pizza place sometime.  We have great daily specials when you dine-in,” he tells me, still wearing what I’ve decided is the world’s greatest smile.

I decide, for the first time in my life, to smile back.  “Thanks.  Maybe I will…after I chop off all of my hair” I deadpan, feeling the crimson rush into my cheeks.

“I hope you don’t.  It’d be a shame…it’s too pretty.”

Did I hear that right?  I open my mouth, but before I can respond, he smiles, waves, and is walking quickly down the stairs.

I close the door gently and lean against it, boxes still in my arms and I say a quiet “thank you” to the delivery guy.  I sit down at the coffee table, opening the smaller box that contain what I assume are the cheese buns he mentioned.  I bite into one, thinking about the bluest blue eyes and the world’s greatest smile…who delivered the best thing I’ve ever tasted.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has already been an amazing day. My *English Major heart that works in Excel all day* thanks everyone who is reading this.

_Katniss POV_

Shit or get off the pot, Katniss.

My great aunt Mags used to say that to me all the time.  At first, literally, since apparently I was impossible to potty train…but as I grew older, the same saying still applied.  I’m horrible at making decisions.  My whole life has taught me that nothing is certain, bad things happen to good people, and situations can change at the drop of a hat.  Combine and mix, and you get one big indecisive Katniss Everdeen.

But it’s not as if I had the best role models.  Mags, herself, wasn’t the best decision maker either.  Married five times in the course of her life, she was always in and out of love, each time claiming beyond a doubt that she had found “the one”.  And yet in the end, she still died alone.

At least she left us all of her money.

_Ring ring, Ring ring_

“Yes, sister?” I answer.  Prim must be hungry.

“Kat, where are you?  Annie called and said she was running late but should be here in half an hour.”

“I’m about to go in and order the pizza, I should be home just after she gets there,”…or I can stand out here and stare at the restaurant a little while longer.  That sounds fun, too.

Argh.  Shit or get off the pot, Katniss.

Prim reminds me to order the cheese buns before she drops the call.  The same cheese buns that the delivery guy brought over last week.

Delivery guy.  Bluest blue eyes.  World’s greatest smile.

Yes, I’m stalling because I’m nervous.  I was a crazy gum-wearing mess when he saw me, and even his compliment didn’t mean he didn’t think I was nuts.  There was _gum_ in my hair for crying out loud!

He’s probably not even in there, I tell myself.  Probably out making more deliveries, saving more girls from hair related disasters…

“I see you got to keep your hair.”

I whip around and there he is.  Same eyes, same smile.  Hey, look at that, he’s blonde.  And built.  And, well, extremely gorgeous.

This is it, I tell myself.  Going to make a full recovery, right here Kat, let’s do it.

“Uh, sure?”

WHATTHEEFFFFFFFFF?!?!?!

“I mean, yes, I got to keep my hair, my sister only had to cut off a few strands.  And I’m officially kicking the gum habit.  Going to meetings and everything,” I joke with a smile.

He smiles back.

“Heading into the restaurant?” he asks, but steps away backwards in the opposite direction.

My heart sinks.

“Yep, my sister and I are having a friend over so we thought we’d do pizza and cheese buns again.  Are you…are you working tonight?”

“I am, but not until later.  I was actually planning to grab a cup of coffee first,” he says, fidgeting with his keys.

“Would you like to join me?”

I look up at him and I’m stunned into silence.  My heart is racing, my head is spinning, and somewhere in the back of my brain my great aunt Mags is screaming at me.

I hear ya, Mags.

“I’d love to.”

././././././

He leads me to the coffee shop next door and we fall in line.  It occurs to me that I don’t know his name yet.  Probably not a good idea to call him “delivery guy” to his face.

“I’m Peeta, by the way, Peeta Mellark,” he says, extending his hand to me.  I guess I can add “mind-reader” to his growing list of qualities.

I shake his hand.  “Katniss Everdeen.  Nice to meet you, Peeta,” I say sincerely.

The line moves quickly and I make it a point to order my tea and pay before Peeta can offer – not that I’m presuming he will, but I can’t take any chances.  Peeta paying would make this less of a friendly coffee and more like a date.

I suck at dating.

I look back at him when I get my receipt, and he does look slightly disappointed.  I don’t want to read into it so I rush off to the waiting area and pick up a newspaper off the stand.

“Did you give up coffee, too?” he asks, coming over to stand next to me.

Lowering the newspaper, I give him a smirk.  “I prefer green tea in the afternoon, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep later.  Doesn’t the coffee keep you up at night?”

“Not too badly, no, but I need the caffeine boost for tonight.  Band practice,” he says, with the slightest look of mischief on his face.

“You’re in a band?” I ask.  That’s interesting…

“Actually, no,” he laughs, “ _Marching_ band practice.  The high school down the street has their last practice before the break and they ordered a bunch of pizzas.”

I laugh, too.  “Nice.  Way to misdirect, Peeta.”

He grins.  “I thought you’d like that, Katniss.”

We pick up our drinks and find an empty table nearby.  The next few minutes are filled with getting-to-know you questions.  I learn that Peeta’s family actually owns the pizza place, and he normally doesn’t do deliveries.

“Though obviously I’m glad I got to cover deliveries last week.  Otherwise your hair would be gone right now,” he grins.

I scowl.

“I would’ve seen it eventually!  Cut me some slack, I was up all night studying,” I reply, a small smile returning to my lips.

Peeta holds up his hands like he’s surrendering.  “Okay, okay, my turn.  So, are you from around here?”

“Really?” I reply, “ _Are you from around here_?  Isn’t that the world’s worst pick up line?” I tease, shaking my head.

His face flushes.  “No, it’s an honest question…because _I’m_ from around here, and I’m assuming _you’re_ not…otherwise I would’ve noticed you by now.”

My jaw drops and I’m stunned into silence.  Again.

Before I can say anything my phone rings.  Crap.  Prim.

“Shoot, that’s my sister, I was supposed to be home with the pizza by now,” I say, standing up so quickly that I knock over my tea and it all spills…directly onto Peeta’s lap.

“Ow ow ow hot hot hot!” he screams, standing up and waving his arms around like he’s doing some sort of insane flapping bird dance.

I feel it erupt deep within me, and I can’t help it.  I laugh.  Hard.

So hard that Peeta stops flapping and starts to laugh, too.

I’m nearly hysterical and I need to sit down again, bending over with laughter as Peeta sits and pats his… _area_ …with the napkins on the table.

“Peeta, I’m so sorry,” I say grinning, handing him more napkins.

He flashes me that smile.  “Eh, that’s okay.  If it doesn’t dry soon, the high school kids will tease me for peeing my pants and you’ll just have to owe me something for my misery…”

I look at him curiously.  “Is that so?  Like what?”

He smirks.  “We’ll figure something out.”

././././././

Luckily Peeta's jeans don’t look too bad as we exit the coffee shop.  He gets a few stares but just shrugs them off, even pointing at me as if to say, ‘It was her fault!’

He holds the door to the restaurant open and I walk through, the wonderful smells of pizza and dough filling my lungs.

“Peeta!”

“Hey Dad,” he replies to the man, who looks just like Peeta would in twenty years.  He even has the same friendly smile.

Peeta walks behind the counter and pats his father’s shoulder. “Dad, this is Katniss, she needs to put in a pizza order,” he tells his father with a wink.

Mr. Mellark smiles and nods to Peeta in understanding.  “Well well, what can we get for you, Katniss?”

“One large pizza, extra olives, and an order of your cheese buns, please.”

Mr. Mellark writes out my ticket and asks me to take a seat.  Peeta smiles at me from the back of the counter and says he’ll be right back.

Time passes incredibly slowly as I wait for the pizza (not to mention Peeta).  I call Prim to let her know I’ll be home soon, promising an explanation for keeping her hungry stomach waiting.  Finally, Mr. Mellark waves me over and hands me the two familiar boxes.

“I’m sorry Katniss, but Peeta had to run off and make a rush delivery…” he says.  I try not to let my face fall, but I have a feeling it’s not working.

He continues on, “He felt terrible about leaving so suddenly, but he said he hopes you enjoy the pizza.  It’s on the house.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” I begin, but he insists, and boxes up a couple of cannolis for good measure.

I smile, thank him, and take the boxes, feeling utterly disappointed and confused the whole way home.

My emotions are obvious when I come into the apartment, prompting Prim and Annie to ask a million questions.  I tell them the whole story, beginning with last week’s gum-braid fiasco to today’s spilled tea.  Recapping it all almost felt like re-living it, and it made how it ended even more disappointing.

“Why didn’t you give him your number?” Annie asks, biting into a cheese bun.

“He didn’t ask, and I didn’t want to seem desperate,” I say sadly.

“It wouldn’t have made you desperate, Kat, just more… _courageous_.” Prim counters.  How did she get so smart?

I sigh.  “Oh well.  It’s not like I have no idea how to get in touch with him.  Maybe we can pay a casual visit to the restaurant next week, or-“

“Katniss”

“-we could order pizza every day and see if he shows up, or-“

“Kat”

“-I can just die alone like Mags, but at least she could say that she got married, since-“

“KATNISS!”

“What?!?”

I look at Prim and Annie, who both have huge grins on their faces, staring at the pizza we had yet to open.

I walk over to them…and smile.

Written out on the pizza, in olives, are the words “CALL ME” and Peeta’s phone number.

I will never look at pizza the same way again.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't stop writing! Enjoy!
> 
> I do not own the Hunger Games, the series belongs to the talented Suzanne Collins.

_Peeta POV_

Two days.

It’s been two days since I gave Katniss my olive number, and she hasn’t called me.

“Should’ve asked for her number, dude.”

“Really, Finn?  Shut it.  I _know_ I should’ve asked for her number.  I could kill Darius for getting sick,” I say, shaking my head, “though, I probably shouldn’t say that, in case he actually does die…do people die from what he has?”

“He has a sprained ankle Peet, calm the fuck down” Finnick says with a goofy smile, “And _relax_!  Maybe she’s doing that whole waiting three days rule that everyone’s into right now.”

“That’s just ridiculous.  What’s the point of waiting that long if you really like someone and feel a genuine connection to them?” I ask him, completely frustrated.

Finn sighs. “Okay, two questions – one, when did you turn into a girl?  Two, if you know where she lives, why don’t you just go over there with another olive pizza that says “Go out with me?”?  Come on dude, that would be slick!”

“Um, wouldn’t that just make me look like a desperate stalker?”

He raises his eyebrow and gives me a knowing look.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll go track down her address.”

././././././

I track down Katniss’s address from the delivery logbook and jot it down on a piece of paper.  I start to make my way into the kitchen to bake another olive pizza when my phone rings.

_Unknown Caller_

That _has_ to be her.

Okay, okay.  It’s her, Peet, it’s Katniss.  Don’t seem too excited.  Be casual.  Nonchalant.  Act sleepy, girls think sleepy guys are cute.  No, what am I thinking?  Okay, just be normal.  Be yourself.

The phone stops ringing.

_1 Missed Call_

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Frantically, I hit the call button to dial the number, cursing myself and my stupid brain, listening to the ringing on the other line…Come on…Pick up, pick up-

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi, did someone call this number?” Yes, dumbass, the girl of your dreams called and you didn’t pick up.

Idiot.

“Peeta?  This is Katniss…from a couple of days ago?...”

I lost my voice.  I can’t talk.  What the hell is wrong with me?

“Um, you gave me your number on a pizza?”

Speak, you idiot, speak!

“Oh hey, Katniss!  Yeah, sorry, I couldn’t hear you at first, bad reception in the restaurant,” I lie, smacking my forehead.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t call you right away, it’s been a busy week” she says.  She almost sounds…nervous.

“No problem at all, just glad you wrote the number down before eating the pizza!”

Wow.  You’re a jackass.

She laughs at my lame joke instead of hanging up.  I take that as a good sign.

“Anyway,” she continues, “I just wanted to thank you for the free food that day.  It was delicious…best pizza I’ve ever had.”

My heart just skipped a beat.

“Oh, that’s…I’m really happy to hear that, Katniss” I manage.  I wonder if she can feel my huge grin through the phone.  Ah, hell, I’ll just tell her.

“You should know that I’m smiling really big right now.”

If she doesn’t hang up after that, she’s definitely a keeper.

“…Me, too.”

SHE’S A KEEPER, FOLKS!

The line goes quiet and I decide it’s now or never.  “So, are you busy this weekend?  I’d love to take you out if you’re free.”

“I’m actually free tonight, does that work for you?”

“SURE!” I scream, and am immediately mortified, “Uh, I mean, yeah, sure, tonight works.”

Smooth.

Recover, Peeta, recover.  “Can I pick you up?  How does six sound?”

“Actually, my sister wanted to grab some cupcakes from that bakery right next to you guys - JJ’s Bakery?  So we can meet out front if you want.”

I shake my head and chuckle, “Um, don’t worry about meeting me out front since it’s cold out.  I can meet you inside the bakery.”

“Oh, okay, sounds like a plan.  See you at six, Peeta.”

“See you later, Katniss.”

I run back out to the storage room to tell Finn, who applauds and punches me lightly on the shoulder.  “Congrats, man, I’m excited for you.”

“Thanks, dude.  What should I wear?” I ask him.

He just looks at me.  “Seriously, Peet…when did you turn into a girl?”

././././././

The rest of the day flies by and I get more and more excited to see Katniss.  I don’t have time to go home and change since the restaurant got really busy with all of the college kids home for the holidays, so I have to settle for the dark jeans I’m wearing and the green v-neck sweater I keep in the car.

I say goodbye to my dad and he gives me a wink and thumbs up as I leave the restaurant and head next door to the bakery…which my family also owns.

“Hey Rue,” I say to the girl working behind the counter.

“Hey Peeta!  What are you doing over here?” she asks cheerfully.

“Meeting a friend here before taking her out to din-“

“WHAT?!?  Blondie has a date?!  Impossible!”

Groan.  Johanna.  I didn’t know she was working today.  She comes in from the back carrying cake boxes and gives me a wicked grin.

“JO.  GO.  AWAY.”

She just laughs and heads back to the kitchen when I hear the door open behind me.

I turn around, and I’m breathless.

Her hair is out of its braid and falls down her shoulders in a sea of brown waves.  She’s in skinny jeans and tall brown boots, bundled up in a grey coat and a white scarf and hat.  The best part is her face – not just because she’s naturally gorgeous, but because her nose and cheeks are red from the cold.  Completely adorable…and breathtaking.

“Hey Katniss,” I say with my biggest smile.

She flushes.  My heart stops.

“Hey Peeta, this is my sister Prim,” she motions to the petite blonde to her right.

Prim and I exchange handshakes and niceties, but all I can do is look at Katniss.  We’re just standing, smiling at each other, and I feel like the whole world has stopped.

Until Johanna comes in and slaps me on the ass.

“Ow, what was that for?” I whine, rubbing the spot where she slapped me.

“Just wanted to check out who was here…and _you_ are?” she asks Prim, who looks confused, and Katniss, who looks... _angry_.

Rolling my eyes, I introduce them.  “Johanna, this is Katniss and her sister Prim.”

They nod to each other, and I continue, “Katniss, Prim, this is Jo…my stepmom.”


	4. Outtake - Johanna's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask and you shall receive. I did age Johanna up to make it a tad less scandalous, but she's still her same headstrong self. Enjoy!
> 
> I do not own the Hunger Games.

_OUTTAKE – Johanna POV_

_2 Years Ago_

“Shit fucking shit!” I scream as I sit in my freezing car, which refuses to start on this unusually cold December morning.  I turn the ignition one more time, and the car responds again with a pathetic wheezing sound.  I climb out and cringe, cold wind hitting my bare legs, and run back into the apartment.

_I’m not here for your entertainment, You don’t really wanna mess with me tonight_

“Shit, where’s my phone?” I ask myself, digging into the abyss that is my purse.

_Just stop and take a second, I was fine before you walked into my life-_

“Hello?”

“Jo, where are you?  You’re late,” says Bristel, panicked tone in her voice.

“No shit Bris, my car won’t start…you can’t come get me, can you?”

“The ceremony’s been over for twenty minutes, I probably shouldn’t leave the hotel,” she replies.  I sigh.  She’s right.  If the bride showed up to her reception venue with no wedding planner in sight, it would be a fucking disaster.

“Plus, Jo, the cake’s not here yet.”

“WHAT?”

“You heard me, no cake yet.  I tried calling Mellark’s but there was no answer,” she huffs.

“Okay, okay, that actually gives me an idea.  Hold down the fort, hopefully I’ll be there soon…with the cake,” I tell her and hang up the phone, quickly scrolling through contacts until I find the number under “Baker Man”.  He picks up on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Mellark?  This is Johanna Mason with the Wright-Smith wedding.  I understand that the cake has not been delivered yet,” I say sternly.  Need to show him who’s boss…before asking him for a favor.

“Ah yes, Miss Mason, my apologies, there was a patch of ice outside the bakery this morning and- “

“Yeah, I don’t care, listen, I’m having some car trouble this morning and was hoping I could hitch a ride to the reception with you…”

He’s quiet for a moment. “Sure, where are you?”

“I’m on Spring Street, the garden apartments around the corner from the shopping plaza?  I’ll be standing outside the building marked 700.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Thank you” I say curtly and hang up, thinking I should really try not to be such a bitch since the guy is doing me a favor.

“Yeah, good luck with that” I say out loud to myself as I lock up the apartment.  It’s just in my nature to be a bitch.  It actually makes me the perfect wedding planner – I don’t get caught up in all of the mushy crap, but I’m still a woman.  I know what’s pretty, what colors go with what, what foods pair well together, what music gets the party going.  And I don’t take shit.  From anyone.

Baker Man pulls into the parking lot and I rush into the passenger side of the truck, thankful for the heat since this dress isn’t helping my mood today.

He nods to me.  “Miss Mason, good morning.”  He’s smiling.  This man is  _always_  smiling when I see him.

“Uh, yeah, good morning Mr. Mellark,” I reply with a flat tone, “Thanks again for the lift.”

“No trouble at all.”

We drive in silence for about five minutes before he pushes a cassette tape into the dash.  My eyes pop wide open at the sight of it.

“Wow, that’s crazy that you still have one of those.”

He smiles and nods.

The first few notes of a song play and I recognize it immediately.  “Is this…Otis Redding?”

He nods again.  Jesus this man is quiet.  What is he, a fucking mute?

“’Cigarettes and Coffee’ was my brother’s favorite song” I tell him, surprising myself that I offered up that information.  I haven’t brought up my brother in years.

He doesn’t nod this time, but he does look my way and gives me a gentle, knowing smile.

“When did he pass away?”

“Excuse me?” I say defensively. 

“You said _was_ …it _was_ your brother’s favorite song…”

“Oh.  Right.  Uh, about five years ago, in the line of duty.  He was a fire fighter…”

“You must have been very proud of him.”

Okay, seriously, who does this guy think he is?  I prepare my face for my famous Glare of Doom, but when I look over at him, he’s calmly focused on the road.  Then I realize…he didn’t say “sorry”.  People usually say “sorry” when they hear about my brother, which drives me nuts, because “sorry” doesn’t fix anything.  “Sorry” makes me feel worse.  “Sorry” doesn’t bring him back.

I take in a deep breath and decide not to bitch this man out.  I listen to the music instead.

We’re stopped at a red light when Baker Man starts rummaging in the back seat.  He produces a fleece blanket and hands it to me.

“Here you go miss, you look a tad cold.”

Again with that smile.

“Uh, thanks…and you can call me Johanna.”

Surprisingly, this catches him off guard and he clears his throat.  “Johanna.  I’m John.”

I can’t help it.  I smile back.

“Nice to meet you, John.”

././././././

_4 Months Later_

“John, I don’t know about this…”

“Jo, they’ll love you,” he calls out from the kitchen.  I walk in and slump on a stool next to him.

“I honestly don’t care if they like me or not, I just don’t want them thinking their father is some cradle robbing lunatic,” I say seriously.  And it’s the truth.  I don’t give a flying fuck if these three idiots like me, but John _loves_ his boys.  I’d hate for his image to be tainted just because we’re dating.

“Sweetie, you’re only fifteen years younger than me.”

I chuckle, “Yeah, _only_.”

“Think about it, when I’m eighty-five and you’re seventy, who’s gonna care?” he says smugly.

I throw a dish towel at him and grin.  “No one.  ‘Cause you’ll probably be dead.”

He laughs.  I love making him laugh.

These last few months have been…eventful, to say the least.  Once we got to the wedding reception that day, we parted ways and I thought that was the end of it.  But every client that came in after the big New Year’s Eve Engagement Spree wanted a cake from Mellark’s, so I probably called him at least once a week for the next two months.

Phone calls turned into in-person visits (always under the pretense of wedding planning, of course), and one day I showed up and there was a cupcake on the counter with a candle in it.

_“What’s this?” I ask him._

_“Oh, that’s for you.  Happy birthday, Johanna”_

_“But how did you- “_

_“When you left your purse here the other week, we weren’t sure whose it was so we had to go through it…saw your birthday on your license” he tells me._

_I stare at him._

_He’s the only one who’s greeted me all day._

_For the first time in my life, I’m speechless._

_“Thanks.  Thank you, John.”_

_He smiles and pulls out a chair at one of the small tables.  “My son brought some food by from the restaurant.  Some new pizza creations he’s trying out.  Are you hungry?”_

_I look down at the cupcake, and back up at him._

_“Starving.”_

“Jo, can you pass me the salt?”

I’m brought back to the present and hand John the salt shaker.  Our fingers brush and a tingle shoots up my arm.

What is this man doing to me?

He and I are complete opposites.  John is quiet, humble, kind…and _cheerful_.  Seriously, he could make fucking Eeyore crack a smile just by standing next to him.

And, well…he’s exactly what I need.

Being so independent and closed off for so long, I needed someone who could break my shell without _actually_ trying to break it.  I needed a _man_ , someone mature and patient enough to deal with all of my shit without it turning into World War III.

I’ve dated too many boys pretending to be men.  Too many warriors.

Turns out, all I needed was a baker.

././././././

_Present Day_

“WHAT?!?  Blondie has a date?!  Impossible!”

I absolutely love giving the boys a hard time, but it’s the most fun with Peeta.  He’s the baby, so naturally he’s the most sensitive.  He’s such an easy target.

“JO.  GO.  AWAY.”

I laugh wickedly and go back into the kitchen with no intention of leaving – I have to meet this girl he’s taking to dinner.  Not because I’m mean.  Not because I’m evil.

Because I’m _protective_.  No one messes with my boys.

I hear the front door open.

It’s showtime!


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss and Peeta's first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everyone for commenting on the Johanna/Mr. Mellark ship. I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
> 
> We're back to Peeta and Katniss now, but I promise more Johanna later on :-). 
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games, that right belongs to Suzanne Collins.

_Peeta POV_

I would run and hide in embarrassment if it wasn’t so funny.

At the word “stepmom”, Prim’s jaw fell to the floor and Katniss’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.  I decide to fill in the awkward silence with a jab at Johanna, who, from the look on her face, is enjoying this _way_ too much.

“Yup, this is my stepmother, my dad’s ol’ ball in chain…”

SMACK!  Right on the back of my head.

“Ow, okay, I deserved that,” I tell her with a smile.

Jo smirks at me and turns to Katniss, “So, where are you two _lovebirds_ going tonight?”

Smile’s gone.

Katniss and I both turn a bright shade of red, so Prim decides to help us out.  “Katniss, didn’t you mention wanting to go to Twelfth & Grille?”

I look at Katniss and give her a nod of approval.  “I love that place,” I say truthfully.  Great food, great atmosphere.

She looks relieved.  “Great, it’s one of my favorite places.”

“We should get going then if we’re going to get a table, it can get pretty busy…” I say.

She looks like she wants to say something, but instead turns to Prim.  “Thanks for the ride, sis.  Enjoy your cupcake.”

“You mean _cupcakes_ , plural!  There’s no way I’m leaving here with less than a dozen!” Prim says excitedly.

This makes Jo smile.  “Music to my ears!  Let’s fill you up with sugar, little blondie…and _you two_...” she turns to me and Katniss.  We stop in our tracks, _this_ close to making it out the door.

“Have fun tonight.”

Whew!

Katniss and I look at each other.  She smiles at Jo and I reply, “Thanks, Jo.”

“Oh, and Peeta,” she continues, throwing me something, “Don’t forget to wrap it up!”

I look down at what I just caught in my hand.  A condom.

She’s _so_ dead.

././././././

“So…your stepmom is… _nice_ …”

“Uh, yeah, she’s a hoot,” I reply bitterly.  After catching the condom, I stuffed it into my pocket and shot Johanna a glare before rushing Katniss out the door.  I know she must have seen it, because she blushed furiously and scowled all the way to my car.  Her face relaxed when I opened the passenger door for her and she smiled, obviously surprised at the gesture.

“But really, I’m guessing there’s never a dull moment when she’s around,” she says with a raised eyebrow.

I smirk.  “Jo is definitely… _different_ …not exactly what you expect when you hear the word ‘stepmother’.”

“So how did it happen?” Katniss says, “if you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, not at all. She was actually the wedding planner for this wedding a couple of years ago, and my dad was doing the cake-”

She holds up her hand, interrupting me, “Wait!  Johanna,” she gestures to the window, “ _that_ Johanna – used to be a _wedding planner_?”

I chuckle, “Yeah, a very good one, actually. I think it was her no-nonsense attitude that made her so popular.  You should hear some of her stories about making the brides cry, they’re hilarious!”

“I bet!” she says, laughing.  I could get used to that sound.

“So anyway, he was late with the cake, but it worked out because her car wouldn’t start, so he gave her a ride to the reception.  A year and half later, they were married.  She quit wedding planning and runs the bakery.”

“Ahh, so JJ’s is for Johanna and?...” she asks.

“John,” I answer, “my dad.”

“Gotcha” she says, but she still wears a perplexed look on her face.

“You’re wondering about the age difference, aren’t you?” I ask with a smile.

“YES!  Thank you!  I wanted to ask but wasn’t sure if it was inappropriate,” she says sheepishly.

I have to laugh. “My dad is actually only fifteen years older than Jo…he’s fifty and she’s thirty-five.”

“Wow,” Katniss says, “I hope _I_ look that good when I’m thirty-five.”

I grin, eyes still on the road.

“I have no doubt you will, Miss Everdeen.”

././././././

My compliment makes her blush again, and she smiles, embarrassed.  We fall into a comfortable silence until we pull into the parking lot of the restaurant.

I’m about to open my door, but she puts her hand on my arm.

“Peeta,” she says hesitantly, “before we go in, can I run something by you first?”

“Uh, sure, what’s up?”

She’s looking at me, twirling a piece of hair in her fingers nervously.  “Uh, well…here’s the thing, do you mind if we don’t get a table?”

Okay…not get a table…at a restaurant?

She sees my confusion and continues, “See, I have this thing with first dates – there’s already a lot of pressure to begin with, but then when you throw in a tiny table for two and a dimly lit room, it sort of amps up the pressure even more…”

I nod, still not sure where this is going.

“So, if it’s alright with you, I’d rather just sit at the bar.”

I blink, and take a moment to process her request.  This is definitely not how I pictured our first date, but I see anxiety in her pretty grey eyes, pleading with me to be okay with this.

I put my hand on hers lightly and smile.  “Sounds like a plan.”

She smiles, relieved, and we make our way to the restaurant.  But before we even make it inside, I can already see that the bar area is pretty crowded.  I’m tempted to ask her to reconsider waiting for a table, but I don’t want to pressure her – I’m sure it took a lot out of her to even make this suggestion.  So I follow closely behind her, trying not to get smothered by the crowd.

Katniss senses my doubt in this plan, and pulls my arm down to speak into my ear.  Her breath is warm and smells minty, and her close proximity almost makes me faint.

“Don’t worry,” she says with a mischievous smile, “I’ll get us some seats.”

I nod, and watch as she squeezes through the crowd, eyeing the patrons at the bar.  She almost looks like a hunter – quietly observing, eyes focused on whether they’re just drinking or eating, looking for signs of anyone who might be leaving.

She stops toward the end of the bar and nods her head in the direction of an older couple.  She points subtlety to the pager in the older woman’s hand, signaling that they’re waiting for a table.  I cross the room and stand behind her, when I notice a tall, blonde, busty woman walking toward us…also eyeing the older couple at the bar.

Katniss notices her too, and doesn’t skip a beat before speaking to the older woman.  “Ma’am, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I love your broach,” she says with a bright smile.

The older woman’s eyes light up, “Oh, thank you dear!  It’s one of my favorites.”

Katniss nods, but her smile fades as she continues, “It reminds me of the one my great aunt Mags used to wear…before she died.”

My jaw drops and I cover my mouth.  I’m sure I’m supposed to look sympathetic, so I fight back the urge to smile.  Katniss plays _dirty_!

The older woman looks at Katniss sadly.  “Oh dear, I’m so sorry for your loss.” she says, placing her hand on Katniss’s arm.  The busty blonde huffs loudly and rolls her eyes.  She crosses her arms and stares Katniss down, making no move to walk away.

Katniss shoots the girl a tight smile as the pager in the old woman’s hand goes off.  She signals for Katniss to take her seat, “Here you go dear, sit down and enjoy your date with your boyfriend,” she says with a wink.

I blush at the word “boyfriend”, but Katniss wastes no time sliding into the barstool as the woman hops off, her husband gesturing for me to take the stool next to her.  The busty blonde glares at Katniss before walking away in defeat.

“Thank you so much, enjoy your dinner!” Katniss calls to the woman.  As I take my seat in the stool, I stare at her and grin.

“What?” she asks.

“Is your great aunt Mags really dead?”

“Yep,” she says, holding up her hand, “and right now she’s giving me a straight up high-five!”

././././././

Katniss and I order drinks and discuss what to eat.  She suggests going all appetizers for dinner, ordering as we go – it’s the “beauty of the bar” she says.  You can practically squat there for the entire night and no one will bat an eye as long as you keep the food and drinks coming.

The bartender brings our drinks over and we put in our first appetizer order.  Katniss’s drink has a small skewer of grapes and I watch as she delicately licks one before slipping it off the skewer and into her mouth.

I nearly choke on my beer.

“Omygod, Peeta, are you okay?” she asks, patting my back.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, went down the wrong way I guess,” I say embarrassingly.

She smiles and keeps going at it with her grapes.

Is she trying to kill me?!?

“So, I never did find out what you do.  Your tea sort of interrupted that conversation,” I tell her, grinning at the memory.

She laughs, “Oh, I meant to tell you, your flapping chicken dance is hilarious.  You should put it on YouTube” she says.

“Haha…” I reply, cheeks turning red, “But really, what do you do?  I think you said something about studying for finals?”

“Yep, I’m working on my Masters in Elementary Education” she says proudly.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Katniss.  And you’ll be done in May?”

“Yes, though I’m already working this year as a teacher’s assistant.”

“How’s that going?” I ask, genuinely interested in anything this woman has to say.

“Um, it’s been great, but also really hard since I’m at a Title I school” she answers.  I look at her, confused.

“Title I?”

“Yes, a school in a poor neighborhood,” she says seriously.

I’m still staring at her.  “In _this_ county?”

“Yes, in _this_ county, Peeta,” she says, and I immediately wish I could take back my question as she continues, “there are hundreds of neighborhoods in this area – not all of them have a fancy bakery and a Starbucks around the corner.”

I cringe and drop my head down to take another swig of my beer.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything-“

“No, I’m sorry, Peeta, I know you didn’t mean anything by it,” she says reassuringly, “it’s just a really sensitive topic for me.  This year has been incredibly eye-opening.”

“How so?” I ask.

She sighs deeply and begins, “Okay, my very first week of school, the teacher brought in a box of cereal for snack time.  She told the kids that it was only for the first week and they would have to bring in their own snacks after that…”

“But then, after that first week, there would be some kids that didn’t bring anything in.  And they would cry at snack time because all the other kids had crackers or grapes and they didn’t have anything.  At first I thought they were just being five year olds, crying because their classmates had something that they didn’t.  But then I realized that’s not why they were crying…they were crying because they were hungry.”

She stops, and I see sadness in her eyes. I resist the urge to pull her into my arms.

“Wow.  That’s definitely…eye-opening…” I say, still feeling awful about my earlier ignorance.

“I’m sorry, I’m being such a bummer right now!” she exclaims, trying to smile, “Let’s talk about something less depressing.”

“Fine,” I say, but I want to keep the focus on her.  “How about a cheerful teaching memory?  You must have some of those.”

She grins.  “Well, this one boy just last week asked if he could marry me.”

“Oh yeah?” I say, “And what was your answer?  Don’t tell me you’re engaged and leading me on, Everdeen!”

“Pshh!” she says, touching my arm, “I wouldn’t do that.  I just told him I was much too old for him and he should look for someone his own age.”

“Yikes,” I say, “Poor guy.”

She chuckles and says, “I’m pretty sure he’ll get over it.”

“I don’t know, it’d be pretty hard to get over a girl like you,” I say, looking directly at her.

She laughs and rolls her eyes.  “Are you always this cheesy, Mellark?”

I chuckle.  “What can I say?  You bring it out in me, Katniss.”

She says nothing, but pushes me lightly on the shoulder.  And she smiles.

It occurs to me that we would never have had this kind of interaction at a table.  Physical contact would be difficult without seeming too obvious.  At the bar, it seems natural…easy.

I decide to take advantage of our close proximity just as she’s been doing and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.  She looks up at me, grey eyes piercing into mine, and in that moment, I know.

I’m a goner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope to wrap up the rest of the date this week.
> 
> Also, I wasn't too sure about this chapter, so comments are welcome and constructive criticism is encouraged!
> 
> I'm on tumblr (30smmof2) - I'm more of an observer/stalker than a poster, but follow me and I'll follow you!


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conclusion of K&P's first date. More shenanigans ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Penname808, for your consistent reading and wonderful and encouraging comments!
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games, they belong to Suzanne Collins.

_Katniss POV_

“Peeta, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim, wrapping my arm around his waist as we rush back to his car.

I look up at him, and in the midst of everything, he shoots me the best smile he can muster up under the circumstances.

“It was worth it,” he says.

I grin.  “Shut up.  Let’s get you to the hospital.”

././././././

_2 Hours Ago_

“You did not!” I practically scream at Peeta as we finish up our second appetizer and third round of drinks.

 “Totally did!  I thought Rye was going to _kill_ us!  But Bannock and I run faster than him, so by the time he caught us, he was too out of breath to do any real damage,” he says smugly.

Boys.  I will never understand them.  Who spends eighty dollars to rent a bear costume for the sole purpose of scaring their brother, who recently had a nightmare about being devoured… _by a bear_?!

“I can’t believe he didn’t see you under the counter,” I say, sipping my water.  I need to pace myself if I’m going to stay coherent for the rest of the night.

“No, he was too preoccupied with the order he was working on.  You should’ve seen his face when I popped out at him – the pictures Ban took don’t do it justice!”

I roll my eyes and shake my head at him.  “One more appetizer?”

“Sure,” he replies, looking at the menu, “Well, it looks like we have these three left, but I can’t do the coconut shrimp.  I’m allergic.”

“To shrimp?” I ask, “Can’t be, since we had that earlier.  You’re allergic to _coconuts_?”

He smiles and nods, “Weird, huh?  It’s actually pretty rare.  Discovered it when I was four, tasting my dad’s chocolate covered macaroons.  Completely sucks since, from what I remember, it was _delicious_.  Oh well,” he shrugs, “there are worse things to be allergic to.”

“Huh.  What else is weird about you, Mellark?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.

He chuckles, “Oh, besides wasting money on bear costumes and being allergic to coconuts?  Let’s see…I love to whistle, but I can’t carry a tune to save my life!”

I laugh.  “Okay, what else?”

Peeta looks up, contemplating.  “Um, I double-knot my shoelaces?”

“That’s not weird!”

“I can’t think of anything else!” he says, exasperated.  “What about you?”

“Hmmm…well, I know how to use a bow and arrow, mainly to hunt…” I begin telling him, but then I stop short. 

I never tell people this.

 _Never_.

“Wow, really?  That’s awesome,” he says, but I shift my gaze downward and suddenly find my glass of water very interesting.

“Katniss?”

I look up at him, crimson filling my cheeks.  “Sorry, Peeta, I usually don’t tell anyone that.  It just sort of slipped out…”

“Is there someone wrong with you sharing that with me?”

Is there?  What should I tell him, that hunting makes me think about Dad?  How he died in a fire when I was twelve?  How my mom then disappeared into herself and took a knife to her wrists?  How, if not for Mags, Prim and I would probably be dead, too?

Hmm.

Probably not first date material.

I summon enough strength to smile slightly and tell him, “No, just…it’s nothing.”

Peeta’s not buying it. Thankfully, he doesn’t push – he instead puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.  “It’s okay, Katniss.  But I hope you know that you can talk to me…about anything.”

I smirk at him.  “Peeta, thanks, and tonight has been…well, _really_ great, but this is still our _first_ date.  Let’s save crazy for date number two.”

His face lights up.  “ _So_ …there’s a date number two in our future?”

I blush.  Again.

I hold up the menu to cover my face, so he can’t see that I’m grinning like an idiot.  “So, I guess that leaves the bacon wrapped scallops,” I say, lowering the menu and peeking at him.

His whole face is still lit up.  Even his _eyes_ are smiling.

“Sounds delicious.”

././././././

We’re pretty much the only ones left at the bar when we decide to call it a night.  We spent the whole evening discussing favorite movies ( _The Princess Bride_ for me, Peeta’s is _Return of the Jedi_ ), favorite colors (mine is green, like the forest, while his is orange, like the sunset), even embarrassing high school dating stories (some of which I _swore_ I would never tell _anyone_ ).  We play the check dance, but he insists on paying.  I don’t mind at all, since I know…I _hope_ we’ll be seeing each other again.

Peeta takes my hand to help me off the stool, and it’s like sparks fly right through my entire being.  He helps me put my coat on, and the simple act makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

We walk, hand in hand, out of the restaurant, when a cold gust of wind hits us.  I dig into my pocket to grab my knit hat, but it falls to the ground.  Peeta’s quick to pick it up, and he proceeds to put it on my head.

His hands are on my head.

His hands are on my face.

The bluest blue eyes are looking deeply into my own.  Peeta licks his lips quickly and I do the same.  He’s closer, and closer, and my eyes fall shut as I feel his soft lips connect with mine.  I sigh into the kiss, raising my hand into his hair, nestling it in the curls on the back of his neck.  Our lips dance together, slowly but purposefully, finding a steady rhythm, and he darts his tongue out to lick my bottom lip.  I gasp and smile against his mouth, but resume kissing him until I feel like I can’t breathe.

We break apart, trying to catch our breath.  One of his hands is still on the side of my face, and I wonder if he can feel the warmth radiating from my cheek.

We’re standing in comfortable silence, just smiling at each other, when he pulls me into him and wraps me up in a big, enveloping hug.

“That was nice,” he mumbles, kissing the top of my head.

“Mmm,” is all I can manage, hugging him tighter.

Suddenly, I feel him tense up.

“Kaniss?”

“Yes?”

“Was there something on your lips?”

I pull away from him.  Holy crap.  His lips are bright red.

“Just lip balm!” I scream, digging it out of my jeans pocket, “It’s just all natural lip balm!”

He’s touching his lips, which are not only red, but starting to swell. “What’s in it?!  Read the ingredients!”

I squint at the ingredients and mumble them out loud, “Let’s see, sunflower seed oil, beeswax, coconut oil-“

Coconut oil.  Peeta’s allergic to coconuts.

His eyes go wide and he groans, “Okay, no need to panic, I just can’t feel my lips.”

“NO NEED TO PANIC?!”

“Let’s just get me to the hospital, they’ll give me a shot and it’ll be alright” he says, though I can barely understand him with his swollen mouth.  He drapes his arm around my shoulders and we hustle towards the parking lot.

“Peeta, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim, wrapping my arm around his waist as we rush back to his car.

I look up at him, and in the midst of everything, he shoots me the best smile he can muster up under the circumstances.

“It was worth it,” he says.

I grin.  “Shut up.  Let’s get you to the hospital.”

././././././

“Okay, let’s see, date of birth?”

“October 12th, 1988.”

“Hmm,” I mumble.

“What?”

“I’m older than you,” I tell him.

“ _Are_ you now?” he replies with a wicked grin.

I smack his shoulder with the clipboard.  “Don’t get cocky…it’s just by a few months.  My birthday’s May 8th, same year.”

Peeta’s still grinning, but it makes me uneasy since his lips are still bright red and swollen.  He looks like The Joker.

I don’t like clowns.

We have to get him that shot… _right now_.

As if the hospital gods heard my plea, the nurse calls him back and I tell him I’ll just sit tight in the waiting area.  He doesn’t say a word, but lowers his head and pouts, holding out his hand.

“What are you, twelve?” I ask.

“No, but your fancy ‘all natural lip balm’ got me into this mess, the least you could do is come back and keep me company,” he says playfully.

I roll my eyes and sigh loudly.  “ _Fine_ ,” I huff, grabbing my coat.  “But I’m not watching you get that shot, I hate needles.”

I put my hand in his and he squeezes it.

“Deal.”

We follow the nurse and she sits us down at a desk, asking for the details of his predicament.  Peeta spares me from embarrassment and doesn’t bring up our kiss, instead telling her that he borrowed my lip balm and didn’t think to check the ingredients.

“I’m such an idiot,” he tells her, laughing at himself.

She laughs, too…and bats her eyes at him.

Seriously?  I’m sitting _right_ here!

I eye the nurse but join in with the laughing, “Yeah, he can be such a goofball sometimes!” I say, ruffling his hair and looking at him sweetly.

Peeta’s definitely surprised, but I suspect he understands, so he recovers quickly and returns the expression, even taking my hand in his.  He looks back up at the nurse and simply shrugs.

She blinks at our joined hands and clears her throat.

“Well,” she says, returning her eyes to the form, “we’re short on beds right now, but I can just give you the shot right here.  You’ll have to wait in the waiting area for an hour afterward, just to make sure you don’t experience any side effects.”

He nods sadly and the nurse gets up to get the shot ready.

“Peeta…”

“Katniss, don’t you dare apologize,” he says, grabbing the back of my head, “Tonight was _amazing_.  I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

I don’t know why…but I believe him.

Reaching up with my other hand, I cup his cheek and lightly run my thumb over his swollen lips.

“I would kiss you right now, but I’d rather not kill you before our second date” I say with wink.

“Yeah, remind me to get you some generic, run of the mill, non-organic lip balm for Christmas.”

I smile and nod, but inside I’m frantically trying to process his statement.  Christmas is two weeks away…well actually, I guess it’s only a week and a half away.  Peeta expects we’ll still be together at that point.

Wait.  _Together_?  Slow down, Katniss.  Don’t get ahead of yourself.

The flirty nurse comes back with the shot and I have to look away when she gives it to Peeta.  He squeezes my hand hard for a second, but when he relaxes I know it must be over.  The nurse tells us to hang out for a while so we return to the waiting area.

I decide to ignore his mention of Christmas and try to make the most of the next hour, since it’s my fault we’re here in the first place.  I get up to try and find a magazine, but there’s not much of a selection.  I see one that might be fun and take it back to Peeta.

“ _Cosmogirl_?  Really?”

I smirk at him.  “There’s a quiz.  Let’s find out what your _High School Musical_ personality is.”

././././././

Peeta’s released an hour later, lips back to normal and the return of the world’s greatest smile.  The trip back to my place is too short, and now we find ourselves standing at my front door.

“So…”

He smiles.  “Yeah, so…”

“Tonight was…”

“Perfect.”

I chuckle and raise my brow at him, “Perfect?  I don’t know if I’d call tonight ‘perfect’, Peeta.”

“Seriously, Katniss,” he says, taking my hand.  “I had dinner with a great woman,” he starts, beginning to blush, “And I even got to kiss her.”

“Yeah, but-“

“ _And_ , I know she won’t bail in a crisis…that she’ll actually keep it together and stick with me.  Come on, how often do you get to find all of that out on the first date?”

Now it’s my turn to blush.

“Peeta-“

“When can I see you again?” he asks, eyes wide and hopeful.

Normally, this is where I would say something like “I’ll give you call” or “When things settle down” or even “I think we should quit while we’re ahead, don’t you?”.

But, this guy…this _man_ …he may be worth taking a chance with.  Perhaps even worth potential heartache.

What has happened to me?

“Peeta…” I begin, looking up into his eyes, “…tomorrow night?”

He beams.

“As you wish."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! I know I took a chance there, but before you hop on Google, coconut allergies DO exist, though they are very rare.
> 
> We'll skip ahead in time a little bit moving forward, I'd like to get Katniss to the Mellarks' for dinner soon...which means more Johanna! Yay!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spans the week after Katniss and Peeta's first date.
> 
> This one's short, but heavy...a necessary evil when you're dealing with K& P. We'll get back to lighthearted in the next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to keep dedicating chapters to those of you who first commented on this story, since you've stuck with me and continued to comment through every chapter. I've loved this return to writing and you all have made it that much better.
> 
> So, here's to EucaEuca, the first comment on my first fic. Many thanks!
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games.

_Katniss POV_

It’s been a week since our first date and I’ve seen Peeta every day.

Every. Day.

And I’ve never been happier.

That Saturday after our first date, we had planned to drive through a local park that sets up a festival of lights every year for the holidays.  I was feeling especially bold that evening, so when I heard him knock, I threw the door open and leapt into his arms, laying a heated, impassioned kiss on him.

When we broke apart, the look on his face was priceless.

_“Uh, hi…Wow…” he says, shaking his head and grinning.  “What was that for?”_

_I lean into him, on my tip-toes, and whisper into his ear, “New lip balm.”_

_His eyes open wider and he puts his hand on the side of my face, pulling me back to him._

_“Well, in_ that _case…”_

It’s a miracle we left the apartment that night…or any night, for that matter.

Peeta worked some magic this whole week and never had to be at the restaurant past six.  So, at six thirty on the dot, there he’d be, freshly showered, smile on his face and usually two or three boxes packed with goodies. We’d feast on the coffee table, conversing in between bites, discussing music and movies, trading restaurant and school stories – talking to each other as if we’d known each other our whole lives.

And the kissing’s not bad, either.

It’s actually pretty fucking amazing.

The first three nights were full on make-out sessions on the couch.  Thankfully Prim, who had made friends with Rue that evening at the bakery, graciously decided to leave us the apartment for hours those evenings, announcing herself with a loud cough when she arrived at the front door.  That usually gave us enough time to straighten up and look decent… _usually_.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, I told Prim she didn’t need to leave the apartment that night.

Because I wanted Peeta in my bed.

_“Are you sure you’re ready, Katniss?  It hasn’t even been a week…” she says, concern in her eyes._

_“Prim, we’re not going to have sex…”_

_She raises her eyebrow at me.  “_ Really _?”_

 _“Yes,_ really _…”_

_“Then why-”_

_“I just want to-…I don’t know how to explain it,” I say nervously, “He makes me feel safe…” I explain, looking directly at her._

_“I want to tell Peeta about Mom and Dad tonight.”_

_Prim’s eyes go wide and she opens her mouth, but nothing comes out._

_“Do you think it’s too soon?” I ask._

_She doesn’t say a word.  Instead, she walks up to me, smiles, and gives me a big hug._

_“I’m proud of you, Kat.”_

_I sigh, and squeeze her tighter.  “Thanks, Little Duck.  Thank you.”_

I waited for Peeta anxiously that night, and he could tell right away that something was different.  I kept him off my scent through dinner, picking through the Chinese food we had delivered, trying to maintain a normal conversation.  But Peeta’s no dummy – he’s the very definition of empathy.

_“Katniss, I know something’s wrong.” he says softly._

_I don’t say anything.  I put my plate on the table, get up, and reach my hand out to him._

_“Will you come hold me?”_

_He stares at me for a moment, but then stands and takes my hand.  We pad wordlessly back to my room, shutting the door behind us._

_I climb in first, taking the far side of the bed, my back to him.  I feel the bed dip as he lies down beside me, pulling me closer until I’m laying on his arm and the other pulls me close._

_“I haven’t told you about my family yet,” I say, making little circles on his arm with my finger._

_He kisses the back of my head. “You’ve told me about Mags, and your uncle out west – Haymitch?  I asked about your parents the other night, but you froze so I changed the subject. You don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not ready to…”_

_I turn to face him, fighting back tears that I haven’t shed in ages._

_“My dad died when I was twelve,” I begin, “He was on his way home and drove by a house that was on fire.  The firemen hadn’t arrived yet so he pulled over to see if he could help…”_

_Peeta puts his hand to my face and wipes away the tears that have started to fall.  I take a deep breath and continue, “The neighbors said that the woman who lived in the house was outside screaming for her husband, but he was caught inside.  His hand waved through the window and he yelled out that his leg was stuck under a beam that had fallen…”_

_I’m crying now, and I can’t go on.  Peeta shushes me and holds me closer, rubbing my back and kissing my forehead._

_“He went in to help the man, didn’t he?” he asks.  All I can do is nod._

_He lets me cry for a few minutes, and when I calm down he places a soft kiss on my lips._

_“I was so mad at him for so long,” I manage, looking into his eyes, “believing that he chose heroics over us, that he would risk his own life for a stranger when he had a family waiting for him at home.”_

_Peeta’s still wiping tears away when he says, “And now?  Are you still angry?”_

_“No. My anger towards him was replaced by my anger towards my mother,” I say, taking on a bitter tone, “She fell apart when he died…was only a few months before we found her in the tub with a knife on the floor...”_

_Peeta gasps at this, and he immediately looks embarrassed.  “Oh Katniss…I’m so- I’m so sorry.  I can’t even ima-…what you must ha-…how you felt-“_

_I have to chuckle at him.  “I do believe I’ve made you speechless, Mellark.”_

_He looks at me and smiles gently, running his hand through my hair.  “Thank you for telling me.”_

_“Thank you for listening.”_

He stayed with me all night, holding me and stroking my hair, wiping away the occasional stray tear that would fall.  I woke the next morning with my head on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart, watching his body rise and fall until the sun shone through the curtains.  Strangely enough, it was the best night’s sleep I’d had in a very, very long time.

I got up quietly to use the bathroom and make breakfast.  I was just about to open the fridge when I felt Peeta’s arms wrap around me from behind.

_“Good morning,” he says, leaning down to kiss my neck._

_“Good morning,” I reply, turning around to peck him on the lips._

_“Let’s go out for breakfast,” he says, yawning._

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah.  In fact,” he says, grinning, “Let’s spend the whole day together.”_

_“You don’t have to work today?”_

_“I don’t have to work today.”_

So, we spent the whole day together, eating, window shopping, even caught a matinee movie.  He took me back to his place for the first time and we spent the night talking and laughing, kissing and cuddling.

I told him I wasn’t ready yet, to take that next step…and he agreed, saying he wasn’t ready yet, either.

Seriously, where did this guy come from?  And more importantly, where has he been all my life?

I spent the night in Peeta’s bed, sleeping soundly, held in his strong arms and comforted by a warmth and sense of security I never knew existed.

That was yesterday.

Today, Peeta had to work. 

Per his request, I came to the restaurant to meet him for dinner, but he wasn’t quite ready yet so he asked me to wait in one of the booths. 

I find a seat and take out my phone to pass the time. I’m scrolling through a few text messages when a plate of cheese buns appears on the table.  I grin, and am about to get up and kiss him, until I see that cheese bun bearer isn’t Peeta.

It’s Johanna.

“So, Katniss…let’s you and me have a chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. You don't even have to say it :-)
> 
> Hopefully I'll have time to write this weekend. Otherwise, keep it fabulous, everyone.
> 
> tumblr - 30smmof2


	8. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss and Johanna. That's all I'm saying. Just read :-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Honeylime - thank you for reading and commenting!
> 
> This one was fun to write, hope you guys enjoy it, too.
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games, it belongs to Suzanne Collins.

_Johanna POV_

“So, Katniss…let’s you and me have a chat.”

I sit myself down in the booth across from Peeta’s new girl, and flash her an evil grin as a look of fear covers her face.

Good.

“Uh, hi Johanna,” she stammers, looking like a fucking deer in headlights.

“I hear you and Peeta have been spending a lot of time together,” I say, pushing the plate of cheese buns in her direction.

She moves her hand hesitantly, but finally grabs one and starts picking at it nervously.

“Yep,” is all she can manage, taking a bite out of her bun.

 “He seems really happy these days,” I say, leaning back and crossing my arms, “I mean, he’s normally _always_ happy, he’s his father’s son, but I would say he’s been _extra_ chipper this week.”

She nods.

Not very talkative, this one.

“Wwwwhat’s going on here?” Peeta asks, surprised to see me chatting up his girlfriend.  A look of relief floods Katniss’s face as he scoots her over so he can join us in the booth.

“Oh, you know, I saw Katniss sitting here all by her lonesome so I thought I’d keep her company until you got here,” I say with a sweet smile.

“Uhh, thanks Jo,” he says with a raised eyebrow, then turns to Katniss, “Listen, Katniss, I’m really sorry, but Rye’s not feeling well so I have to cover for him tonight.”

She looks disappointed, but forces a smile in understanding.  “Oh, okay, no problem at all…just call me later?”

Peeta nods and plants a kiss on her forehead.

Yuck.

Katniss turns bright red with the knowledge that I’m still sitting here, and a light bulb goes off over my head.

“Katniss, since you’re free now, how about you and I go out for a drink, so I can get to know you better?”

They both turn to me with wide eyes, and I have to stop myself from laughing.

“Uhhhhh…” she says, looking to Peeta for help.

“I’m sure Katniss is probably just going to spend time with Prim tonight, right?” he says, looking at her and nodding.

She nods furiously, “Yeah, I haven’t seen her much this week so I should probably catch up with her.”

“Oh, well I just saw her leave the bakery with Rue a little while ago, so they’re probably hanging out tonight,” I say, and I can actually see her starting to sweat.

“Pleeeease?” I plead, “I’m surrounded by guys all the _fucking_ time-“

“Language, Jo.”

“and it would be nice just to hang out with another chick for a few hours,” I tell her earnestly.

And it’s the truth…but of course it’s not the only reason. I need to see what this girl is made of, if she is worthy of Blondie’s affection…because frankly, the boy’s been burned before.

I don’t want to see it happen again.

Peeta looks at Katniss and squeezes her hand, as if to say, _Come on, what could go wrong?_

Cue my internal evil cackle.

She sighs, nods at him, turns to me and gives me a small smile, “Sure, Johanna, let’s hang out.”

“Great!” I exclaim, getting up from the booth, “Let me grab my coat and keys and we can get going.”

I leave them to say their sappy goodbyes and head to the front counter to grab my stuff and some cash.  I see John kneading some pizza dough and come up behind him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist.

“Hey sweetie,” he says, turning and flashing me a smile.

“Hey babe,” I say, unwrapping my arms and digging into his back pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Copping a feel,” I say, fishing out his wallet, “But also, I’m taking Katniss out for a couple of drinks.”

John freezes and stops kneading the dough before turning around to face me.  “You’re taking _Katniss_ out for a drink?”

“Yes.”

“Peeta’s Katniss?”

“Christ babe, are you losing your hearing already?” I deadpan, patting his cheek, “Yes, _Katniss_.”

“Does Peeta know you’re taking Katniss out?”

“Seriously, _what_ is the big deal?!?” I say, taking a few bills out of his wallet and handing it back to him.

“Come on, Jo, you _know_ why…” he says, concern on his face.

“Hey, that Clove girl was asking for it!”

He’s smiling now and shaking his head as he takes a step towards me and puts his hands on my waist.  “Look, I _love_ how protective you are of the boys, and I know you’re only looking out for them…”

“ _But…_ ”

“ _But_ …this girl hasn’t _done_ anything yet, and she really seems to make Peet happy,” he says, placing his hand gently on my face, “So please, just give her a chance _before_ you key her car, okay?”

I lean forward and kiss him gently on the lips, then again on his cheek.

“I make no promises.”

././././././

I tell Katniss I can drive, so we hop into my car and when I start the ignition, the radio turns on and she seems surprised at the music that starts to sound out.

“What?”

“Nothing…” she says sheepishly, then actually cracks a smile, “I just didn’t figure you for Christmas music.”

I chuckle. “Beneath this tough exterior, I’m actually a huge Christmas fanatic – and I don’t even think I believe in God…”

“Me neither,” she says, so softly I almost miss it.  I turn to her and smirk, but I really don’t want to start this type of conversation without a drink or two first.

“So, where are we going?” I ask her, pulling out of the parking lot.

“Um, wherever you want, I don’t know too many bars around here,” she says, nervousness returning to her voice.

“Okay, well in that case, I know just where to go.”

We travel in silence, with Katniss occasionally humming to the Christmas music. I can’t really look at her since I’m driving, but her humming almost sounds… _sad_ …if that’s possible.

I decide on a local Irish pub, Colleen’s, and we arrive at the tail end of Happy Hour.  We find seats at the bar easily and I waste no time putting in an order for both of us.

“Two shots of whiskey, bartender,” I call out, and Katniss instantly shoots me a look of panic.

“Oh, I don’t know…I haven’t really eaten anything today…” she says, eyes wide at the shots that are now in front of us.

“Relax, just take this one now, we’ll order some greasy food, and you’ll be fine,” I say, handing her her shot.

She scowls and looks me in the eye, but takes the shot glass from my hand anyway.  She clinks it with mine, and downs it like a champ.

Impressive.

“Well okay then!” I say, downing my own shot, “Let’s get some cheese fries, I’m starving!”

././././././

“So then, my tea spills all over his pants and he starts flapping around like a crazy chicken!” she tells me loudly, scarffing down onion rings like she hasn’t eaten in years.

All I can do is laugh.  Katniss is a cheap date.

The first shot of whiskey didn’t do too much, she looked a tad woozy but appeared to improve after we wolfed down the fries.  The second shot, however…it opened the fucking flood gates and now I can’t get her to shut up.

All according to plan.

I laugh at her story, even though I had heard it before, and decide to start my interrogation. “So, Katniss, Peeta tells us you’re a teacher.”

 She nods, biting into another onion ring.

“And I know you live with your sister…any other people you’ve lived with recently?”

She looks confused by my question, but shrugs it off.  “No, just me and Prim.  It’s been just us since my great aunt Mags passed away and we moved up here.”

I’m about to ask another question, but she cuts me off.

“You know, you remind me of her, in a way…”

I’m intrigued.  “How so?”

“Well, Mags was a tough old broad,” she says, and I smirk. “Plus, she was really protective of me and Prim, and I can see that in you…how protective you are of Peeta, and probably his brothers…”

Okay…

“I mean, you show it in a weird way, I guess…” she continues, picking at her food, “But I know Peeta thinks really highly of you, so that’s gotta count for something.”

She stops talking and shoots me a small smile.

No.  Come on Johanna.  Don’t let this girl knock you off track.

“Well, thanks…I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, “But getting back to you, do you-“

“I don’t date a lot, if that’s what you’re asking,” she says, interrupting me.  I glare at her, but can’t help but think that this girl…she has balls.

“I’ve only had a handful of real boyfriends,” she continues, “But the most recent was over a year ago and I haven’t been with anyone since.”

I’m still looking at her, but my glare has been reduced to a curious stare.

“I really like him, you know…Peeta,” she says, running her finger around the lip of her glass, “He’s sweet, thoughful, funny.  Plus, there’s something about him that makes me feel like I could tell him anything – which is amazing considering how closed off I usually am.”

Hmm.  Sounds familiar.

“ _And_ ,” she continues, “he’s definitely not bad to look at,” she winks, and I chuckle.

“Yes, the Mellark men _are_ easy on the eyes,” I nod in agreement.

“Look...Johanna,” she stammers, “I didn’t grow up with an easy life, and I definitely have baggage, I mean, with my dad, and the fire, and-”

“Fire?” I say, feeling a sudden chill run through my bones.

“Uh, yeah, wow, this must seriously be the whiskey talking, but yes, I lost my dad in a fire, I won’t even tell you how my mom-”

“I lost my brother in a fire,” I blurt out, surprised at myself.

She blinks at me and stops talking. “Oh…” she says, looking at me sadly.

“Do you miss him?” she asks.

I raise my head to the ceiling and look back at her.  “Yes. Every day.”

“Are you ever angry that he’s gone?  Like, angry _with_ him?”

Whoooa.  This evening is quickly spiraling and it’s not how I had planned it at all.  All I wanted to do was get this girl drunk for Christ’s sake! So I could get her to spill about past indiscretions and find shameful skeletons in her closet!  I was definitely _not_ prepared for this little heart-to-heart that’s taking place right now…

And yet, I want to answer her question.

“Well,” I begin slowly, “My brother, Bobby…he was a firefighter, so deep down I know he was just doing his job and he died a hero…”

Katniss is staring at me now, a hint of a tear in her eye, but I power through, “But yes, I get angry sometimes, _with_ him, that he left…that he left me.”

That’s all I can manage, so I call the bartender over and ask for another round.  Katniss senses my desire to end this conversation, so she becomes silent and sips on her water.

I look at her, and sigh.

“It’s okay, you know,” I say, and she looks back up at me, “to be angry.  I mean, it’s not good to dwell on it or anything, but you’re only human – you can’t help how you feel.”

Katniss lets a tear fall and I have to fight myself from showing too much sympathy…or I might fall apart, too.

“Look, the best you can do is forgive them for leaving, even if it’s not really their fault…forgive them, miss them, and forgive yourself for being angry.  And just live.  Live your life the best damn way you can…that’s what they would’ve wanted.”

The shots come and I push Katniss’s in front of her.  She only let that one tear fall, and now she’s sitting up with renewed strength.  We clink our glasses and take them down, and I’m surprised to see that we’re both smiling.

“Now that we’ve gotten all that mushy shit out of the way, tell me,” I say, raising my eyebrow, “What happened with those ex-boyfriends?”

Katniss laughs, rolls her eyes, and says, “Well…”

././././././

“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMASSSSS, IS YOOOOOOU”

“Shhhhh, Katniss, you’re too fucking loud!” I say, practically carrying her ass back to Three Brothers.  Luckily, it’s closed, along with all of the other stores on the strip, so we’re not bothering anyone.

Peeta rushes out of the restaurant and picks Katniss up, shooting me a glare, “Jesus, Jo, what the hell did you do?!?”

“Peeta Mellark, don’t you yell at me!” I exclaim, opening the door ahead of them.  “We had a lovely time, thank you very much.  Katniss is just… _happy_.”

“Yeah, _drunk_ happy” Peeta mutters, placing her down gently in a booth.

“Relax, she’ll be _fine_ …” I say, patting her head.

She looks up at me with a goofy grin that I can’t help but return.  “Thankkks for the drinks, Jooo…I hhhad funn.”

“No problem, kiddo,” I tell her, “Now be sure to sleep it off and take two aspirin in the morning, otherwise you’ll be brainless all day.”

She smiles and nods.  Peeta kisses her temple and tells her he’ll be right back, but she’s basically already passed out in the booth.

He smirks at me and shakes his head. “Thanks for bringing her back in one piece,” he says, leading me back up to the front counter, “But I hope you didn’t scare her away.”

“Peeta, dear, I would do no such thing,” I tell him with a wink.

“Mmmhmm, sure you wouldn’t…it’s a good thing you don’t know what kind of car she drives.”

I glare at him.  “Okay, seriously, am I the only one who remembers that Clove ‘I’m too good for a pizza guy’ Harrison cheated on you?!”

“No, but-”

“Have you even told Katniss about Clove?”

Peeta opens his mouth, but shuts it right away.

“I didn’t think so,” I say, exasperated. “Has Katniss talked to you about _her_ exes?”

“No. We’ve talked about silly high school dating, you know, keeping it light and funny, but we haven’t touched on any serious relationships yet – the subject always changes conveniently before any of that comes up…” he says, then his eyes go wide.  “ _Why_? Did she tell you?!”

I hold up my hands in protest.  “No, na uh, that’s between me, her and the shots of Jameson we downed at the bar.”

He leans against the counter and heaves a heavy sigh. 

“Look, Peet, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that you guys haven’t discussed these things, I mean, it’s only been a week for shit’s sake.  I’m just saying to slow it down, get to know each other at a _normal_ pace, maybe not see each other _every fucking day_ …” I say with a smirk.

Peeta nods sadly, acknowledging that I may have a point.

I sigh, “ _But_ …for what it’s worth, she seems like a legitimately good girl, and it’s obvious that she genuinely cares for you.”

He smiles at this.

“So,” I continue, “You have my blessing” I say with a smile.

He smirks. “Your blessing, huh?”

“Yes, my blessing…and my promise that I won’t key her car.”

Peeta chuckles. “Thanks, Jo.”

We come together for a quick hug and I lean into his ear.

“Yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a good Superbowl Sunday! I'll try updating again mid-week.
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!
> 
> tumblr - 30smmof2


	9. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Katniss and Jo's night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay folks, I'm not going to lie, this one got away from me. But I've been staring at it all week and I want to move forward so, here it is.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to TxDorA, thanks for reading and commenting! Hope you enjoy this one.
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games.

_Peeta POV_

I wake to the sound of someone in the hall, shutting the door to the bathroom.  Squinting at the cable box, I see it’s 7:37am and I groan – it’s too early for a Saturday morning.

I get up and stretch my arms out, thinking how comfy the Everdeen couch is.  After her night out with Jo, I carried Katniss all the way up here and laid her down on the bed with a trashcan beside her, just in case.  I probably should’ve left, but I wanted to make sure she was okay so I crashed on the couch.

It appears I’m not really taking Johanna’s advice to stay away.

Well, she didn’t say “stay away” exactly, she simply suggested not spending _every day_ together.

She might as _well_ have said “stay away”.

Seriously, what’s the big deal if we _are_ seeing each other every day?  Katniss is off from school, so it only seems logical to take advantage of her break and see each other as much as we can until her classes start up again.  Right?

I sigh loudly and get up to check on Katniss before I head out.  I have to cover for Rye again today, but I can probably still get a workout in before I have to be at the restaurant by eleven.

Tiptoeing quietly down the hall, I see that Prim’s door is wide open, which means she’s the one in the bathroom.  I open the door to Katniss’s room and see her hung off the side of the bed, head hovering over the trash can.  I prepare myself for whatever might be in there, but when I look inside it’s empty.

That can’t be good.  She’s going to have a hell of a hangover today.

She’s snoring softly, so I decide to just let her rest and search for something to write a note with.  As I look around her desk, I can’t help but smile.  There are a few stacked textbooks, but also crayons, stickers, construction paper, and several drawings from her students.  One that catches my eye is a little boy holding a very large diamond ring with a yellow band, holding it up to a taller girl with a long brown braid.

I chuckle, remembering our first date just over a week ago when she told me about the boy who asked her to marry him.  Then I think about the way she looked when I tucked her hair behind her ear.  That moment when I knew I was a goner.

It’s then that I decide to ignore Jo’s advice and spend as much time with Katniss as I can.

I mean, what could go wrong?

././././././

_6 Months Ago_

“I just don’t understand, what did I do wrong?” I plead with her, not wanting her to leave without knowing what I did that would make her cheat on me.

Clove turns to me, infuriated, “You didn’t DO anything wrong, you’re just…Peeta, you’re ALWAYS around, ALWAYS accommodating, ALWAYS treating me like – like I’m a princess or something!”

“And that…that made you cheat on me?!?” I yell, still incredibly confused but growing angry at this revelation.  “Why didn’t you talk to me about this _before_ you decided to sleep with Cato?  We could’ve worked it out, I could’ve given you more space, I COULD’VE BEEN LESS ACCOMMODATING!”

This shuts her up.  We stand there for a moment before she walks over to the table to grab her purse.  She turns around to face me, and there are tears in her eyes.

Stay strong, Peet.

“Look, Peeta.  I like you…I really _could_ have loved you…”

Well, shit.

“…but really…you’re just…you’re just too _good_ for me. I don’t know what else to say.”

She walks towards the door, and just like that, she’s gone.

~~~

“Four months, wasted!” I exclaim, passing Finn the basketball.

He shoots from the three point line and it goes in with a swish.  Damn Odair genes.  I swear this guy could run a marathon, swim a mile, and still be able to play a full game of basketball.

I’m already getting winded after twenty minutes.

“Look, Peet, I don’t know what to tell you…” he says, walking over to the bench.

I join him and we take a water break, watching some neighborhood kids play on the court next to us.

“Finn, be honest…was I…was I _whipped_?” I ask hesitantly.

“Welllll…” he begins, and already I don’t like where this is going, “Yes and No. Yes only because you were whipped with the wrong girl.  Sure, she was cool that first month – you guys actually seemed really good together.”

I think about that first month with Clove, and he’s right.  We were really in sync.  What the hell happened?

Oh yeah.  She lost her job.

Clove got laid off at her company, and was pretty devastated by it.  But I helped as much as I could, and eventually I was spending a lot of time with her - bringing her food from the restaurant and bakery, driving her around to the grocery and interviews so she wouldn’t have to pay for gas, basically her beck-and-call guy.

Oh.

“Peet?  Peeeeta, hello, are you even listening to me?” Finn says, chuckling.

“Huh, oh sorry dude, what were you saying?”

“I was saying, you also _weren’t_ whipped because it’s not like she was bossing you around, she was in a jam, you offered to help, and she let you.”

I sigh and put my head in my hands.  “So, what do I do now?”

“Start working out again, you’re getting chubby.”

I glare at him. “I meant next time, asshat.  How do I avoid the whip?  What’s the happy medium?”

Finnick shakes his head and takes another gulp of water.  “Look, you are who you are.  You shouldn’t have to change to fit some girl who won’t appreciate you.”

“That doesn’t help.”

He laughs, “What do I look like, a fucking shrink?  Peet, none of this is gonna matter when you find the right girl.  The right girl will just be…I don’t know, the right girl.”

“Wow, you really suck at this.”

“Girls don’t love me for my brain, Mellark,” he says with a grin, “Now come on, let’s shoot around and we can hit up the bar later – there’s this girl Annie that I’ve seen there a couple of times, and I think she may be ‘the one’.”

“‘The one’, huh?  Finnick Odair, a one-woman man?  I’ll believe it when I see it,” I say, getting up from the bench.

“You’ll see, Peet,” he says, throwing up another shot, “You’ll see.”

Swish.

././././././

_Present Day_

I find a pad of paper and a pen, thinking it over for a few minutes before composing my note to Katniss.  I write it with near legible handwriting and leave it taped to the door where she can see it.  Standing back, I read it one more time before opening the door.

_Katniss –_

_Slept on the couch to make sure you were okay – hope that’s cool._   
_Gonna try and workout before covering Rye’s shift at 10,_   
_but I’ll be off at 6 if you want to hang out.  Just call me or shoot_   
_me a text._

_Peeta_

Satisfied with my note, I open the door and exit her room quietly, running into a wide-eyed Prim getting ready to go out for a run.

“Oh… _hey_ Peeta,” she says, raising her eyebrow at my disheveled appearance.

“Hey Prim,” I say, flustered, “I was just leaving Katniss a note, I actually slept on the couch…”

She grins.  “Uh huh, sure you did.”

I roll my eyes at her.  “Seriously, I brought Katniss home drunk and put her on her bed while I slept out here.”

“Wait, you got Katniss drunk?” she asks, surprised.

“No, no, she and Johanna went out for a few drinks and I guess they got carried away,” I say sheepishly.

“Wow, Kat went out with your stepmother?  Just how serious are you guys?” she asks, crossing her arms.

Fuck.

“…Well, we haven’t defined anything yet, but honestly?...” I begin, “I really like your sister.  Like, _really_ like her…”

She continues to stare at me with crossed arms, so I keep going.

“And I know it’s only been a week, but-“

“Peeta, you don’t have to explain,” she says, cutting me off.  She glances down the hall to Katniss’s closeddoor, then gestures at the small dining room table.  I take a seat across from her as she continues, “I probably shouldn’t talk to you about this, but Katniss seems really happy right now – I mean, she _is_ really happy these days, which is awesome…”

“…but I feel I should warn you…” she says.

My heart drops.

“Warn me?  About Katniss?...” I ask.

“No, it’s nothing bad, God, I would never cast Katniss in a bad light. But please keep in mind – you guys have been spending all of your time together _now_ , while she’s on break.  Katniss during school, both with her classes and her TA job, she’s pretty intense…”

Huh.

“I just don’t want you to get scared off when you– _if_ you’re still together in a few weeks when she’s back to her busy routine.  We’re talking early masters’ classes, afternoons at the kids’ school, homework and lesson plans in the evening.  Throw in a boyfriend, and I can see her getting pretty overwhelmed.”

I’m confused.  “So,” I say carefully, “You’re telling me this for _my_ benefit?”

“No.” she says, almost scolding me, “Ultimately, it’s about Katniss.  I’m telling you this so that if you feel like you won’t be able to handle her… _intense_ personality when school starts up, then you should end it now, to be fair to both of you.  As much as I love seeing how happy you make her, I also don’t want her getting too attached to you, just to have you walk out the door if things get to be too much.”

I’m staring at her, speechless.

“Look, Peeta, I don’t know you-”

“That’s right, you _don’t_ know me, Prim.” I say in a serious tone.  It’s my turn to speak.

She’s gaping at me and seems put off that I interrupted her, but I don’t care.  I should be able to defend myself.

“Listen, I hear your concerns, and I commend you for being protective of your big sister. Really, I think she’d probably be the same way, if not worse, were the tables turned…”

A faint smile tugs at her lips, but I keep going.

“However, I don’t think that by _warning_ me, you’re giving either of us a chance at whatever this is.  You say you love seeing her happy, but it sure as hell sounds like you’re willing to push that happiness off to the side for the mere _possibility_ that things won’t work out between us – that’s not fair to her…”

“No, that’s not-”

“I’ll say it again – I _really_ like Katniss.  And I’m not going anywhere.”

Prim stares at me silently for what feels like forever, when finally she sighs, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

She smiles.  “Okay.  Not bad, Peeta.  Not bad at all.”

I get up from the table and smirk at her, “I’ll take that as a compliment?”

She stands and shrugs, “Take it as ‘I believe you’ and I trust you with her.  That’s plenty.”

She walks me to the door and I hold out my hand as I leave.  She shakes it, but when I try to pull away she pulls it back and I’m forced to look at her.

“Don’t screw up, Mellark.”

“I don’t plan to.”

././././././

I manage to get a quick workout in before heading to the restaurant for Rye’s shift that starts at ten.  Three Brothers doesn’t open until eleven, but there’s a lot of prep work to be done.

When I arrive the strip is already pretty busy, being the last Saturday before Christmas.  Hmm.  Christmas.  Katniss and I haven’t talked about it, but I’d like to get her something small, at least.  The perfect idea comes to mind so I make a quick stop into the grocery store before heading into the restaurant.

When I walk in, Dad and Jo are behind the counter, kissing up a storm.

Ewwww.

“Ewwww, seriously, don’t you two do that enough at the house?” I say loudly, covering my eyes.

My dad laughs and shakes his head, releasing his wife with one last peck on the lips.

“Ew.”

“Good morning, Blondie!” Jo calls out, blowing me a kiss.

“Good morning, Jo,” I mutter, “Oh, and thanks again for getting Katniss drunk last night,” I tell her sarcastically.

“Anytime,” she winks, “How is she this morning?  Have you talked to her yet?” she asks, passing me a plate of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.  They smell heavenly.

“No, but she texted this morning so I know she’s alive.  She’ll just call me later,” I say, stuffing my face with a roll.

“Given any more thought to what I said last night?” she asks, eyebrow raised.

I glance at her, and at my dad behind her, drying off some dishes.  He looks at me and nods, indicating that he knows what we’re talking about.  They tell each other everything.

“What do you think, Dad?”

Jo and I both look at him as he formulates what he wants to say.  My dad is a happy, but quiet, man – anything he says has thought behind it and you know he always means well.

“I think…that you really like this girl.”

“…Yes.”

“But, I also think that you really liked Clove, too.”

Ouch.

“...Yes, but-”

“Now, I’m not saying they’re the same girl…I mean, Clove was-”

“TWO-FACED,” Jo says, scowling.

Dad smirks and clears his throat, “I was going to say _nice_ , in the beginning...”

I look down at my feet, knowing where this is headed.  “Dad-”

“Peet, you couldn’t have predicted how things were going to turn out with that girl.  Sometimes the odds just aren’t in your favor…”

“…but _Katniss_ ,” he continues, “She’s…”

He goes silent and we look up at Jo, waiting for her input.  She looks up at us and smirks.

“Genuine…she _seems_ genuine.”

Dad and I both raise our eyebrows at her.  “What?  You learn a lot about a girl when you get some whiskey in ‘em.  Had I gotten Clove drunk right away, I would’ve been able to spare you the heartache, loverboy.”

I roll my eyes at her, but a smile tugs at my lips.  Her methods aren’t conventional, but you can’t deny she’s only looking out for me.

“Listen, son,” Dad resumes, “I think what we’re saying is, don’t rush into anything.  Remember that you’re both young, you have the rest of your-”

“Dad, I’m sorry, but I have to stop you.  I _know_ we’re young.  I _know_ we have the rest of our lives.  But I also _know_ how Katniss makes me feel – and it’s amazing.  Why would I want to go without that every day if I can possibly help it?”

They’re both speechless now, staring at me.  Dad is smiling but Jo is scowling again.  He walks up and stands behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and speaking softly into her ear.

“Jo, do you remember those first weeks after your birthday?” he says with a sly smile.

Jo blushes, which _never_ happens, and simply nods at him.  Then she looks up and nods at me.

“Go get her, Blondie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll breeze over Christmas next, then the plan is to jump forward.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and many thanks to those of you who are now following me on tumblr (30smmof2). Let's be friends :-)


	10. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss and Peeta separate for the few days around Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take note of the day changes and changing POV's in this one.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to nonemoreblack - thank you for reading and commenting!
> 
> I had fun with this one, hope you all enjoy it, too.
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games.

_Peeta POV_

_Saturday, December 23, 2012_

Katniss called around noon sounding tired, but happy.  I asked if she was free tonight, and she said that she was, so I offered to bring my special hangover pizza.  She laughed.  I grinned.

I arrived around 6:30, bearing pizza, ginger ale, and the small present I got for her earlier today.  I prayed that the gesture wouldn’t scare her off.

When I entered the apartment, she was covered in flour, a sight I was familiar with on others, but I wasn’t aware that Katniss knew how to bake.  She smiled brightly at me, and at the sight of what I was carrying, including the gift bag.  I sighed in relief as I followed her into the kitchen.

I placed the boxes down on the counter and turned to face her.

She kissed me.  I let her.

When we parted, I left one arm wrapped around her waist while the other reached for the gift bag.  I watched her as she opened it, eyes wide and excited.  As soon as she saw what was inside, she laughed and placed her hand on my cheek.

_“Thank you. It’s perfect.”_

She took out the green mug and the box of green tea and proudly displayed them on the counter.  Then she produced a Tupperware wrapped in a red bow.  I opened it to see cookies that looked like tiny little pancakes, dipped in chocolate.  They smelled delicious. I raised my eyebrow at her in question.

_“Coconut-free macaroons.”_

 My jaw dropped in amazement, and she seized the opportunity and put one in my mouth.  I was right.  Delicious.

There wasn’t a moment for the rest of the night when we weren’t touching.  I wondered if I had ever been so happy.

_Sunday, December 23, 2012_

Leaving Katniss’s apartment last night was bittersweet.  After another amazing evening together, I bid her farewell since she and Prim had planned to leave early this morning.  They were going to spend Christmas with their Uncle Haymitch.

_“Call me when you get there?  So I know you arrived safely?”_

She replied with a kiss.

I woke this morning with a smile, then panic set in when I realized I hadn’t done any Christmas shopping yet.

_Shit._

Since Bran took my shift at the restaurant, I had all day to shop and wrap.  I set aside the family presents and grabbed Finn’s card as I went to meet him at the bar before he left town.

The card has Santa stuck in the chimney.  The reindeer ask themselves why the elves don’t do _this_ part for him. 

Finn laughed at the card, but looked puzzled when he saw what was inside.

_“A bookstore giftcard?”_

_“You said that girl Annie mentioned she liked guys who read.  So.  Read.”_

_“Read…a book?”_

_“Yes genius, a_ book _.”_

_“…Do magazines count as books?”_

I answered his question by leaving the table to get another beer.

We said our goodbyes and even did a bro-hug in the spirit of Christmas.  When I got home I was exhausted, and had just enough energy to sit my ass down on the couch when my phone rang.

_“Hey you.”_

_“Hey you.  Just wanted to let you know that Prim and I are here now.  It was a long drive but we took a couple of breaks.”_

_“Oh, good, glad to know you got there safely…”_

_“…”_

_“…Katniss?”_

_“Yes, Peeta?”_

_“…Uh, nevermind…just happy to know you’re off the road, with it being dark now and all …”_

_“…I miss you too, Peeta.”_

././././././

_Katniss POV_

_Monday, December 24, 2012_

Apparently Uncle Haymitch has a new girlfriend.  Wonderful.

Her name is Effie and she’s very… _high-spirited_.  Yes, we’ll go with high-spirited.

I _was_ impressed that she got Uncle Haymitch to allow decorations in his house.  Normally Prim and I make do with a Charlie Brown-esque Christmas tree with single strand of lights around it.  But this year, the halls were definitely decked – including the banister, the fireplace, and the six-foot fir tree in the living room, covered head to toe in twinkling lights and pretty red and silver ornaments.

The silver matched Effie’s dress.  The red, her lipstick.

Nonetheless, the day was lovely.  The nicest Christmas Eve we’ve had in a long time.

But I missed Peeta.  I missed him more than I thought I ever would.

I was lost in thought by the fire when Haymitch cleared his throat loudly.

_“What’s goin’ on in that head of yours, Sweetheart?”_

_“Oh…nothing…”_

_“Nothing my ass.  You got a boy in there, don’t you?”_

_“_ No _.”_

_“Mmhmm…does he know what a pain you are?”_

_“No, haven’t shown him that side yet.  Think he’ll run off when I do?”_

_“…Sweetheart, if he does, he doesn’t deserve you.”_

I called Peeta before going to bed, but it went to voicemail.  My heart sank, but I toughened up and left him a message, just saying I was thinking about him and hoped he was having a good time with this family.

Sleep claimed me not long after, but I woke the next morning to a text message.

_Merry Christmas, beautiful.  I miss you and can’t wait to see you again.  Have a wonderful day._

I was grinning like a fool all Christmas morning, and not even Haymitch and Effie making out in the hallway could ruin my mood.

././././././

_Peeta POV_

_Tuesday, December 25, 2012_

_Merry Christmas, blue eyes.  Your text has me grinning from ear to ear.  Hope you have a good day.  I miss you, too._

I read this and sighed.  It was going to be a good day.

I padded downstairs to smell coffee already brewing, with Christmas music playing in the kitchen.  When Bran first moved out of the house, we made a pact that the three of us would always spend the night here Christmas Eve, so we could all be together first thing Christmas morning. 

“Jingle Bell Rock” was playing, and Dad and Jo were dancing around, baking biscuits and cooking eggs.  I stared at them from the doorway, and watched as they occasionally managed a small peck on the lips when they passed each other.  Normally I would’ve feigned disgust at the sight, but instead I smiled and joined in the dancing.

Rye and Bran came down, groggy but happy, and we had a delicious breakfast before settling in around the tree to exchange presents.  We’re all usually pretty generous at Christmas, and this year was no different.  Once the final present was opened, the living room floor was a sea of tissue and wrapping paper.  My brothers and I were busy cleaning up when Jo and Dad cleared their throats, calling us to attention.

_“We have one more gift.  It’s for Peeta.”_

The three of us looked at them suspiciously, but I took the box anyway and unwrapped it carefully.  When I looked at what was inside, I gasped loudly and held it up for my brothers to see.  It was a t-shirt with two words on it.

_Big Brother_

?!?!?!

We all started screaming and jumping up and down, hugging Jo and Dad, then screamed and jumped up and down some more.

 _“Wait, Jo, you_ just _went drinking with Katniss the other night.”_

_“Yeah, we actually just found out Saturday morning, so it’s still early.  But we really couldn’t wait to tell you guys.”_

_“Wow.  I’m going to be a big brother!!!”_

_“You sure are, Blondie.  Don’t mess it up.”_

I thought about it all day, not just the big brother of it all, but how love can basically do…anything.  How it could take two people like Johanna and my dad, complete opposites, and bring them together out of loneliness to share their lives with each other.  And now they’re having a baby.

My mind wandered to Katniss.

_I’m not in love.  At least, I don’t think I am.  But she makes me happy.  Being with her makes me happy.  That’s more than good enough for now._

We were all in a cheery stupor all day, relaxing by the fire and talking about potential baby names.  Bran’s fiancée, Mary, came by in the afternoon and Bran recorded her reaction to hearing Jo and Dad’s news.  Her jaw dropped, but then her eyes sprung happy tears.

Jo rolled her eyes.

It was priceless.

I called Katniss around nine to check in on her.  She and Prim would be coming back home in the morning, so I didn’t want to call too late.

_“Hey, Peeta!  Merry Christmas!”_

_“Merry Christmas, Katniss.  How was your day?”_

_“Oh, you know…it was actually really good.  You?”_

_“Definitely one of the best I can remember.  We can talk about it when you get back.  What time do you think you’ll be home tomorrow?”_

_“Um, probably in the afternoon.  I’ll call you when we get close – do you have to work?”_

_“Yes, but it’s the early shift at the bakery so I should be done when you get home.  Just give me a call.”_

_“Sounds good.  See you tomorrow, Peeta.”_

_“Good night, Katniss.”_

././././././

_Present Day_

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and to say I’m excited would be putting it mildly.

Katniss and I have basically been inseparable since she came home the day after Christmas, since she’s still off school and Rye’s back to working his regular shifts.  I took her out to meet Finn last night, and they hit it off really well.  Finn even told me to “hold onto this one” as we left – he hardly ever says sappy shit like that.

Tomorrow we’re going to a party at his place, and we’re expected to dress nicely even though it’s just at his townhouse.  The thought of Katniss in a dress sends tingles down my spine, not to mention other places.

We told each other we would take it slow, but I have to admit I’m going a little crazy after spending so much time with her.  The kissing is unbelievable, but it always leaves me hungry for much, much more.  I wonder if it makes her feel the same. 

Who knows, maybe tomorrow will be our night?  What’s a better way to ring in the New Year?

I’m heading up to her apartment when the very definition of “tall, dark and handsome” passes me down the stairwell.  He glances at me and shoots me a look, but keeps going, looking downright pissed off.

When I get to her door, I find it’s already opened slightly, so I let myself in and find Katniss pacing in the living room.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, concerned with the look on her face.

She says nothing, but walks over and wraps her arms around me in a fierce hug.

I hold her tight and stroke her hair, willing her to say something.  When it doesn’t look like she’ll be the first to speak, I say, “Does this have anything to do with the guy who just left?”

She breaks away from me and I see that all the color has gone from her face.

“That was Gale.  My ex.”

I nod, staring at her silently.

“Peeta, we need to talk.”


	11. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss and Peeta reveal their past exes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Keeta Everlark - thanks for reading and commenting!
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games.

_Katniss POV_

His eyes.

His smile.

His hair.

His shoulders.

I’m staring at my closet, twiddling with my braid and trying to figure out what to wear to Finnick’s New Year’s Eve party tomorrow night, but all I can think of is Peeta.  And his hands.  And the things he could do with his hands.

I need a cold shower.

My trusty little black dress calls out to me, so I take it out and hang it on the closet door when I hear a knock out front.

Peeta!

I run over, smile on my face, but it quickly falters when I open the door.

Gale.

“Hey, Catnip,” he says, nervous smile on his lips.

I scowl.

“What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you, too.  Can I come in?”

“Actually, I’m expecting someone,” I say, standing tall and crossing my arms, “So, whatever you came here to say, just say it and go.”

His face falls and he runs his hand through his hair, obviously not expecting this reaction to his visit.

Tough shit.

“Look, Catnip-”

“ _Katniss_ ” I spit out, glaring at him.

He frowns, but continues, “ _Katniss_ , I was wondering…I mean, I came here hoping…”

“I want you back, Katniss.”

I furrow my brow at him, bring my arms down to my sides and clench my fists.  I’m overcome with a strong urge to throw something at him.

“Gale, YOU broke up with ME.  Or did you forget?”

“Kat-”

“No.  YOU didn’t want to do long distance, even though I begged you to _at least_ try.  You _claimed_ you were doing it for my own good, but that was bullshit and you know it.  What happened, Gale?  Florida girls shoot you down?  Too blonde and bubbly for you?  Or maybe they couldn’t handle your dark and broody demeanor?”

His expression turns angry, but I stand taller.

“Wha-…what’s happened to you?  When did you turn into a bitch?”

He doesn’t see it coming.  My hand meets with his face in a loud smack that sends him stepping backwards.  I’ve been possessed by a livid, violent woman, but in this moment, I could give a fuck.

My finger is now in his face as I step out of the apartment and closer to him.  My bare feet are cold on the pavement, but I hardly notice since I’m boiling with anger.

“Gale, you have some nerve.  You break up with me, leave town, don’t talk to me for nearly a year and a half, and you just expect me to take you back?”

He looks at me silently, hand to his face, and suddenly appears remorseful.

About damn time.

“Look, Katniss, I don’t know what to say.  I still love you.  I really thought I was doing the right thing by breaking things off, but now I know I was just being selfish.  I want to work things out – I want us to be together again.  I'll even move back up here if you just give me a chance.”

I sigh, and calm down slightly as I look up into his eyes.  Eyes full of regret.  Eyes that I once knew, though now it feels like a lifetime ago.

So many different emotions are coursing through me.  Anger.  Confusion.  Frustration. 

But love is not one of them.

“Gale,” I begin softly, “I _was_ devastated when you left.  Truly, I was a complete mess for a long time…”

He looks at me hopefully.  He shouldn’t.

“But, and I’m not saying this to be mean, or to get back at you in any way…I think I was more upset because it reminded me of my father dying and leaving me…and less to do with you.”

A look of hurt shadows his face, so I continue quickly, “You were right to break things off.  I understand why you did it…even if it took me a while to get there…”

“But my answer is no – we can’t get back together.”

At this, I hear Peeta’s car lock up in the distance, and I know he’s making his way up to see me.  Gale sees my reaction to the sound and he scowls.

“New boyfriend coming to see you?” he spews.

I glare at him.  “He’s – yes, he’s my boyf-”

“He’s my Peeta.  And you need to leave.  Now.”

He glares back at me.  “This isn’t over, Katniss.  There’s too much history here to just throw it away.   I’ll be back.”

He turns and leaves in a huff.  Damn him, he’s always been stubborn, so full of fire.  A lot like me.

I head back into the apartment and start pacing the living room when Peeta comes in.  The look on his face both shatters me and warms my heart.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks.

The myriad of emotions I just felt with Gale are still running through my veins, but all I want is to feel Peeta’s arms around me.  I want to be comforted. I want to feel safe.

Only Peeta can give me that.

I throw myself into his arms, hugging him tightly and wishing everything away.  He simply stands there, holding me, stroking my hair, and all I can do is breathe him in and hope that he never lets go.

“Does this have anything to do with the guy who just left?”

I break away from him ever so slightly, not wanting his arms to leave me.  But he already knows something is going on.  I have to be honest with him.

“That was Gale.  My ex.”

He nods silently.  It’s now or never, Kat.

“Peeta, we need to talk.”

././././././

_Peeta POV_

Panic sets in my gut at her words, but I steel myself and follow her as she gestures to the couch.  I sit down, but she doesn’t follow.  She’s still pacing and thinking, mouthing words to herself furiously.  I open my mouth to say something, anything, but she surprises me by straddling my lap and crashing her lips onto mine.

If this is her idea of “needing to talk”, I hope she decides to do it more often.

The kiss starts off urgent and needy, her hands gripping my hair and my arms wrapping tightly around her waist.  Our breathing is heavy and my heart is racing, but she starts to slow down and I follow her lead, moving my arms to rub her back as she moves her hands from my hair to cup my face and line my jaw with her fingers.  I release her lips and place a soft kiss to her cheek, then her nose, and we end up sitting, forehead to forehead, until finally, she speaks.

“Hi.”

I chuckle.  “Hi.”

“So, we really do need to talk, but I didn’t want you to think it would be bad, so I kissed you first.  Hope you don’t mind,” she says with a small smile.

Any anxiety I had just moments ago fades away and I take a deep breath, inhaling her scent of vanilla and sandalwood.  I look into her eyes and shake my head, placing one more soft peck to her lips before she slides off and sits next to me on the couch.

She’s turned toward me, not quite looking at my face and fiddling with her braid, which I’ve learned means she’s _really_ thinking of what to say.  She opens her mouth, then closes it again.  Opens…then closes.  Finally, I smile at her, and say, “Bed?”

She sighs in relief and nods.  “Bed.”

Katniss’s bed, along with mine, have been places of sanctuary for us the past few days.  Whether it’s the middle of the day, or at night after dessert, we always end up there, sharing secrets and stories, dreams and nightmares.  We were in her bed when I told her about my first pizza creation (pepperoni and bananas – I was five) and my first batch of cupcakes (burnt, every last one of them). We were in my bed when she told me more about hunting, and the bow her father crafted himself.

We were in her bed when she showed me the last picture that was taken of her family – Katniss at twelve, Prim at eight, Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen holding hands, a huge grin on each of their faces.  She smiled through tears that night, telling me stories of camping trips, snow forts and sand castles.  She fell asleep with the picture gripped tightly in her hand.  I didn’t have to heart to take it away.

And finally, we were in my bed last night when I first showed her my drawings.  The look on her face as she stared at them in wonder, silver eyes scanning each page, fingers outlining every sketch – I’d never seen anyone so beautiful in my life.

I think I may be falling for this woman.

She leads me to her bed and I take off my shoes, crawling in next to her.  We’re laying on our sides, at first facing each other, but she suddenly scoots in closer and pulls my body to hers, nestling her head in my neck.  I guess she doesn’t want to look at me for this conversation.

I kiss the top of her head.  “Okay, shoot.”

Katniss nods, but still doesn’t say a word.

“Katniss, whatever you have to tell me…I mean, I know we haven’t….well, the thing is-”

“Spit it out, Mellark.”

“I know we haven’t discussed our exes yet.”

She sighs, and starts rubbing her hand up and down my back.  “Can you go first?” she asks quietly.

“Uh…okay,” I say, taking a deep breath, “Well, I had a serious girlfriend back in college, Delly.  We were together for a couple of years, but it felt more like a ‘best-friends’ type of relationship than anything else…”

“Did you sleep with her?”

Yeesh.

“Uh, yeah, actually, she was my first.  But it never…I mean, it was good, but there wasn’t any passion behind it, you know?  I really think we were just good friends who were comfortable with each other, trying too hard to be something we weren’t.”

She nods.  “Are you still friends with her?”

“Yes,” I begin, and I feel her tense up in my arms, “… _and_ her husband, Thom.”

Katniss backs away to smirk, scrunching her nose at me.  Too damn adorable.

“Anyone else?”

I clear my throat.  Shit.  This is what I’d been dreading.

“Yeah…I tried the online thing for a while, went on a lot of first dates, then some second dates…and eventually I met Clove.”

She furrows her brows when she sees the unease on my face, and leans in to kiss me softly.  “Go on,” she says, stroking my jawline.

“Well, she was nice…interesting.  Different from the other girls I was ‘matched’ with.  We went on a few of dates and we were really clicking…”

Katniss winces and scoots down to resume her earlier position, with her head under my neck.  This conversation is painful for me, too, and the only thing keeping me going is the need to hear about her exes, specifically the Tall Dark and Handsome one that left a few minutes ago.

“But, uh, after a month or so, she lost her job, and it hit her really bad.  I tried extra hard to be there for her, driving her around to interviews and bringing her food, stuff like that.  But I guess it got to be too much…I guess _I_ got to be too much, being around all the time, so, uh…she cheated on me.”

Katniss suddenly pushes away to face me again, but she’s scowling.

“Wait, she- but that doesn’t make sense – why would she?...”

I give her a crooked smile and shrug my shoulders, “Hell if I know.  I mean, when I found out and confronted her, she basically said I was smothering her, and that she didn’t like being treated like a princess…”

“Would she prefer being treated like a bitch?  Because that can be arranged…”

My jaw drops and she’s left me no choice.  I have to kiss her.  Repeatedly.

She laughs into my kisses but pushes me away, her expression turning grim again.  “Seriously, Peeta, she cheated on you?”

“Yes, but okay, I really _was_ constantly around, so I understand how she might hav-”

Her lips are on me again, but this time it’s serious and achingly slow.  Her tongue darts out to lick my lower lip and I groan into her, drawing her waist to mine and daring to move my hand down to her ass, pulling her into me.  She allows the gesture, and lifts her leg up over my thigh.

I roll us over so I’m on top of her, moving my lips down her chin and the slope of her neck, my hand slipping under her shirt to feel her bare stomach.  Her skin is so soft and hot, I want to touch every inch of it.

“Peeta”

Her voice is heavenly and spurs me on, traveling back up her neckline, kissing the tender spot behind her ear.  She gasps and says my name again, “Peeta…”

“…Peeta, wait.”

I come up from behind her ear to look at her, desire in her face, want in her eyes.

“She didn’t deserve you.”

I smile and lean back down to kiss her, but she pushes me away gently.

“Shouldn’t we finish our conversation first?” she asks hesitantly.

I sigh and fall back onto the bed beside her, draping my arm across my eyes.

“Do we _have_ to?” I whine jokingly.  I turn my head to face her and give her a goofy grin.  She chuckles and smacks me with her pillow.

“Yes.  It’s my turn.”

I’m suddenly at attention and I take my arm off my face, turning my body towards her again.  I lift my hand to stroke her cheek and run my thumb over her lips before kissing her softly.

“Okay, I’m all ears.”

././././././

_Katniss POV_

“When Mags passed away, I entered a pretty dark place.  I mean, not as bad as when my pare- when my father died, but pretty bad.  Mags loved us unconditionally – she took us in after my mom…anyway, she took care of us.  Me and Prim…I’ve told you this, right?”

Peeta nods.

“Well…what I didn’t tell you is that I started hanging out with some pretty bad people that year after she died.  Committed a few misdemeanors, dated a lot of jerks, and a couple of them lasted a few months.  I lost my virginity to this guy named Marvel – yes, that was his real name – and it was awful.”

He cringes at this and grips my waist tighter, as if he could protect me from something that happened long ago.

“Marvel and I dated for about six months, and then I met Gale.  He worked for Haymitch at the time, and the old man sent him looking for me when I’d gone AWOL for a few days.  Thank God for Haymitch, since I was doing a pretty shitty job at taking care of Prim.”

I look up at Peeta and see nothing but tenderness in his blue eyes.  I’m all at once amazed at his patience, his understanding, his empathy.

I think I may be falling for this man.

I clear my throat and continue, “Anyway, Gale and I started hanging out, and he was able to knock some sense into me.  I dumped Marvel, and went back to school.  He played a big part in my recovery – in getting back to normal, getting back to Prim.  And I’ll always be grateful to him for that.”

“How long were you together?”

“Um, almost two years?  We were really just a normal couple for a long time – actually, it sounds like our relationship was similar to yours and Delly’s…”

I stop and shoot him a wicked smile.  “She’s blonde, isn’t she?”

He smirks.  “Uh…yeah.”

“Blue eyes?”

He sees where I’m going with this and chuckles.  “Yes.”

I laugh softly, “Yeah, well…same thing with us.  Gale and I are really similar.  Too similar.  It meant we got along really well, but it also meant that the fights were overblown and unnecessary, and eventually they happened too often for my liking.  But I thought I loved him, so I stayed with him…until he left.  He was offered a job in Florida, and thought it would be best for us to split.”

I stop, breathe, and look up at Peeta, but I can’t read his face.

“So…” he begins, “…are you saying you _didn’t_ love him?”

“I _thought_ I did…”

He nods, but still looks unsure.

Sighing, I scoot closer to him.  “Peeta, when did I tell you about my parents?”

He thinks for a second then responds, “Umm…our sixth night together?”

“Mmhmm,” I reply, “It took me over a year to tell Gale.”

His face lights up, and my heart melts a little.  “Really?” he asks.

“Really.” I say, pressing a kiss to his lips, “I felt genuinely close to him, but there was always something missing.  We had sex, but it never felt _intimate_ …I don’t know how to describe it.”

Peeta stares at me for a moment.  “Wait, you told _me_ about your parents…does that mean you…”

Crap.

Does that mean I love him?  Isn’t that I was alluding to?

“Uh…it means that- Peeta, I…”

I’m looking down, but I gather enough courage to raise my head and look him in the eye.

“Peeta, I _really_ like you…and I _trust_ you.  I’ve never felt this way about anyone…that is, no one’s ever made me feel this way...”

“…No one’s ever made me this happy.”

I breathe, finally saying what I’ve been wanting to say for days, hoping it’s enough for now. 

And then he kisses me.

“You deserve it,” he whispers.

He kisses me again.

“You’re beautiful.”

And again.

“You’re amazing.”

And again.

“And _I_ feel amazing when I’m with you.”

And again.  And again and again and I’m suddenly lost in this man, lost in the warmth of his lips and his breath, lost in the heat of his hand traveling up my back and into my hair, lost in his tongue gliding across my lips.  So lost that I almost don’t hear the knocking at my door.

“Katniss?”

Peeta freezes and stifles a groan.  My sister has impeccable timing.

“Yes, we’re in here.  Be out in a minute!” I manage, but it’s obvious that I’m out of breath.

Prim laughs outside the door.  “Um, don’t worry about coming out, just wanted to see if you were home.  Continue on with what you were doing…Hi Peeta!”

Peeta rolls his eyes and laughs.  “Hiiii Prim.”

We hear Prim shut her door, and all we can do is look at each other and smile.

“I’m glad we did this,” he says.

“Me too.”

“So, um, is that the dress you’re wearing tomorrow?” he asks, pointing to my little black dress hanging on the closet door.

“Mmhmm,” I reply with a sly smile.

“We’re sleeping at my place tomorrow, yes?”

I kiss him.

“Damn straight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and let me know what you think. As always, many thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peeta and Katniss, New Year's Eve Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Scoutchick104 - thank you for reading and commenting!
> 
> A little sexytime for you - Enjoy!
> 
> I do not own The Hunger Games.

_Peeta POV_

_“No one’s ever made me this happy.”_

Katniss’s words echo in my mind, and I can’t think straight.  I look down at the ball of dough in my hands and try to remember what I’m supposed to be making.  Right.  A pizza.  Duh.

The noise of the restaurant brings me back to life, and I start working the dough into a pancake, a smile on my face as I think excitedly about tonight.  New Year’s Eve.  Katniss’s tiny ass black dress.

I need to sit down.

“Peet?  Hellooo, Peet?”

“Huh?  Oh, hey Rye,” I say, trying to focus on the pizza.

“What the hell is up with you today?  I feel like you’ve been kneading that same dough for an hour,” he says, smirking, “Bet you’d like to be kneading something else right about now.”

“ _Ha ha_ ,” I reply, rolling my eyes at him.

Though, he’s got a point.

“Seriously, bro, hasn’t it been like, two weeks with this chick, and you haven’t hit that yet?”

I glare at him.  “Yes, two weeks.  That’s nothing.  We’re taking it slow…”

“You didn’t take it slow with Clove,” he replies.

“And look where that got me, asshole!” I say, a little too loudly.  I flush when I notice a few glances shot in my direction from the cooks in the kitchen, and go back to kneading the dough.

“Okay, okay, calm down, dude, geeeeez,” Rye says, punching my shoulder lightly, “Don’t be so sensitive, Peet.”

He has a point.  My outburst was completely unnecessary.  As crass as Rye can be, I know he’s just messing around.  So why did I get all diva on him?

I just don’t want my relationship with Katniss to be compared, in _any_ way, to the catastrophe that was my relationship with Clove.  I’m falling so hard for this girl, and it’s _nothing_ like I’ve ever felt before.  I think about her _all the fucking time_.  I finally understand what it means to be “crazy” about someone.

And I think I’m just crazy enough to be locked up.

“Sorry bro,” I say, “Just…just don’t compare what I have with Katniss to the disaster that was me and Clove, okay?”

He smiles faintly, but it looks sincere.  “Yeah, okay Peet, you got it…shit, you’re really smitten with this girl, aren’t you?”

I sigh.

“You have no idea.”

././././././

I arrive at Katniss’s door promptly at 7:45pm.  Before knocking, I straighten out my tie and look down at my black tux, wiping away any lint or stray hair I come across.  I have to admit, I clean up nice.

I knock nervously and am so excited to see her that I almost forget to breathe.  When the door opens, that’s exactly what happens.

I forget to breathe.

She’s in the dress that was hanging on her closet door – it’s black, strapless, and _tight_ , but she still looks classy and downright gorgeous.  She’s wearing black shoes with tiny heels – I’ve never seen her in anything other than boots.  Her hair is down and the strands in the front are curled up a little to frame her face perfectly.  She doesn’t normally wear makeup, but tonight there’s a hint of blush on her cheeks and her eyes look smoky and seductive.  Finally, her lips are a pale pink, but they compliment the intensity of her eyes.

She’s stunning.  And I’m speechless.

“Peeta?” she says finally, as I’ve been staring at her longer than usual – I haven’t even said hello yet.

“Uh, sorry, you just…you’re just so…”

She smiles.

“You’re stunning,” I manage, my voice low and deep.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she replies as she moves in to kiss me.

It starts off soft and slow, but soon her hands are on my neck and mine wrap around to her back, one of them traveling up to feel the bare skin above her dress.  We stumble into the apartment, closing the door behind us, and I find myself backed up against it as Katniss continues to devour my mouth.

Fuck the party.

One of my hands moves down to her ass and grabs it.  Katniss moans and smiles into our kiss, giggling.

“Peeta, we have to go…”

I shake my head and move down to kiss her neck, “Nope, it’s not midnight for another four hours, we have plenty of time…”

“But, ahh, but…” she says, stroking the back of my head as I move down to kiss her neck.  I kiss slowly but purposefully, pecking and licking until I find the spot behind her earlobe that makes her gasp.

“Katniss…” I whisper, “Bed.”

She steps back to look up at me, her deep breaths matching my own.  She’s gripping my shirt in one hand while the other moves up to stroke my face.

She nods.  “Bed.”

We walk slowly down the hall, the frenzy, hurried pace now gone as we make our way into her bedroom.  She lets go of my hand and opens a drawer in her desk, taking out two candles, but instead of grabbing a lighter or some matches, she turns them on with a switch.

“Flameless candles.”

I smile and nod in understanding, making a mental note to get rid of the few candles I have at my place.

The flameless candles do a great job of setting the mood, and soon she’s standing in front of me again, and I shudder as she starts to undo the buttons on my jacket.

“Peeta,” she says, kissing my neck, “I have to ask…”

“I, uh, got tested after Clo- uh, in August, and, ahhh,” I say, though she’s making it awfully hard to concentrate on anything right now, “I haven’t been with anyone since…you?”

She comes up to kiss my cheek, and says, “My sister’s a future doctor – she makes me get tested every year, recently last month, and I’m on the pill, even though I haven’t been with anyone since…”

I stop her mouth with my lips, not wanting to bring up anything unpleasant to ruin this moment.

Our moment.

I shrug my jacket off and drop it, walking backwards until I feel the bed at the backs of my knees.  Katniss pushes me to sit, then turns around and brings her hair to the front, exposing her back.

“Unzip me?” she whispers.

I take in a deep breath and reach up for the zipper.  In the dim light I can see goose bumps on her skin as I start to move the zipper down, kissing slowly down her back.  I can hear her gasp with every kiss, and I gasp myself when I see the top of her black lace panties.

She turns to face me and puts her hands on my shoulders, steadying herself as I pull the dress down, exposing her black bra.  I bite my lip as she steps out of her dress, along with her heels, and then her lips are on mine again.

I groan when her tongue finds mine, and pull her closer until she’s straddling me on the bed.  My hands are clutching her soft skin, and I have no doubt that she can feel my hardness at her crotch as she begins to grind against me.

Katniss goes to undo my tie, while my hands move away from her waist long enough for me to unbutton my dress shirt.  Soon enough, it’s off, along with my undershirt, and I feel her hands exploring my back and shoulders.  Kissing her neck, I reach around to unclasp her bra, and am rewarded with the most exquisite sounds as my hands find her breasts. 

“Peeta”

My lips find hers as I begin to massage her, running my thumbs over her pebbling nipples, swallowing her moans in my mouth when I pinch them gently.  I’m so focused on her that I’m caught off guard when one of her hands moves south and begins to rub me.  I groan, and she pulls away to look at me.

“I need you, Peeta”

I flip her over, nearly growling as I push her onto the bed.  I stand to remove my shoes and pants, trying to take in what I see before me – Katniss, topless and sprawled out on the bed, hair a mess and breathing heavily, her silver eyes focused on my own.

Perfection.

I join her in the bed and resume kissing her slowly as my hand moves down, tracing the top of her panties.  My lips move down to her jawline, then down to her chest, and finally down to her left breast, taking her nipple into my mouth.  She moans as I start to suck on her, moving my hand underneath her panties, delighted when I find her warm and incredibly wet.

“Peeta, please…”

I move my mouth to her right nipple while my fingers below start to rub her in circles, slowly, gently, then harder, faster.  Her hips are grinding against my hand as I come back up to her lips and kiss her greedily, finding myself growing impossibly hard as she starts to come, moaning into my mouth and unraveling at my fingers.

She settles down and catches her breath while I remove her panties and kiss her earlobe.

“You’re beautiful,” I tell her.

She replies with a smile so luminous it could light up the night sky.

Her hands find the top of my boxer briefs and she draws them down, using her feet to remove them completely.  I groan when she takes me in her hand and squeezes me, wrapping her legs around me and leading me to her entrance.

We’re still for a moment as we look into each other’s eyes.  She reaches up and cups the side of my face, and I move my head to kiss her palm.  She smiles, then nods, and I waste no time pushing into her, feeling her wetness surround me, her tightness engulfing me.  I lean back down to kiss her, pulling out and thrusting into her deeply.

“Katniss, you feel amazing”

She whimpers and nods, lifting her hips up to meet mine, and we move into an incredible rhythm as I feel every inch of her envelope me, making me moan and produce sounds I’ve never made before.

Without warning, Katniss uses her leg to push me to the side, and I suddenly find myself on my back, watching this gorgeous woman start to ride me.  I run my hands from her waist up to her breasts, squeezing the flesh and rubbing my palms over her nipples.

“Yes, Peeta”

She starts to move faster, and plants her hands on my chest to steady herself.

“Peeta, I’m so close”

“Me too”

I move my hands back down to her waist, thrusting up hard into her as we quicken the pace, and I start to feel her tighten around me.  I move her faster, and her eyes squeeze shut as she cries out.  I come at the same time, groaning as I spill into her.

I have never come so hard in my life.

She’s still now, and in the faint light I can see her body is glistening with sweat, her hair is matted and her cheeks are flushed.  Her eyes are still closed and her mouth is opened slightly.

She’s absolutely beautiful.

“Hey there, gorgeous,” I say, reaching up to touch my fingers to her lips.

She kisses them and smiles.  “Hey there, handsome,” she says, opening her eyes.

She lays down on my chest and I kiss her head, running my fingers through her hair.  “How are you feeling?” I ask.

Raising her head, she rests her chin on my chest and sighs.  “Not bad.  You?”

“Eh, I’m okay,” I say, grinning, “Seriously though, that was…”

“Amazing?”

I laugh.  “Amazing, fantastic, unbelievably fucking good.  You know, all those things.”

She laughs and brushes her hair out of her face.  “Crap, I’m going to have to fix up my hair again,” she says, pouting.

I pull her up and flip her onto her back.  “I’m sorry Miss Everdeen, but you’re talking like we’re done here,” I say, raising my eyebrow.

“Oh,” she says, blushing, “Aren’t we?”

Placing a soft kiss to her lips, I whisper…

“Not even close.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first time writing lemons - let me know how I did ;-)
> 
> They finally make it to Finn's in the next chapter, and a few surprise guests show up.
> 
> Let's be friends on tumblr - 30smmof2


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